The Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ) was formed in 1970 by Catholic and Protestants Church health institutions. The Association is the largest non-government health provider in Zambia. CHAZ has 162 members’ health institutions representing 16 Catholic and Protestant denominations. The majority of these health institutions are which are based in rural areas. They comprise 34 Hospitals (including 16 nurses and laboratory technologists Training Schools), 77 Health Centers, and 31 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). Together these members serve about 8 million people nationally. CHAZ Secretariat is based in Zambia’s Capital city of Lusaka. The Secretariat is the Technical wing of the Association whose role is Representation and Advocacy, Resource mobilization, provision of technical, administrative and logistical support to its member’s church health units providing both curative and preventive health services and implementing activities to mitigate diseases of public health concern such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis programmes. The Secretariat is headed by the Chief Executive Officer supported by a lean but strong management team. CHAZ envisions a Zambian Society where all people are healthy and live productive lives, to the glory God and in our mission, we are committed to serving the poor and underserved communities with holistic, quality and affordable health services, that reflect Christian values, while Meeting Stakeholders’ expectations. CHAZ works closely with the Government through a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Republic of Zambia through the Ministry of Health (MOH) which commits Government to providing grants covering 75% of operational costs for Church Health Institutions (CHIs). The MoU also provides for the payment of salaries for professional and non-professional health workers and provision of essential medicines for CHIs. The CHAZ Pharmaceutical Warehouse complements the Government owned Medical Stores in the storage and distribution of essential medicines. CHAZ operations are guided by Zambia’s National Health Strategy, the 6 WHO Health Systems building blocks, and CHAZ’s own Strategic Framework which has three (3) key Strategic Directions outlined below:
Direction 1: Health service delivery
Direction 2: Resilient health systems
Direction 3: Health Care Financing
Over the years CHAZ has cultivated much donor confidence and proved to be a good steward going by the number of partners the Association has attracted over the years. CHAZ emphasizes on transparency and accountability in the implementation of its programmes and has successfully managed a grant value of US$224m in the last seven years. The following are some of CHAZ’s valued partners: the government of the Republic of Zambia /Ministry of Health, Global Fund (GF), PEPFAR/Centre for Disease Control and Prevention , AIDSRelief /PEPFAR, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), Danish Embassy, European Union, Irish Aid (IA), CORDAID, Joint Country Program (DCA/NCA/CA), UNICEF, Zambia Prevention and Care Treatment II, Fredskorpset (FK), Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN), Save the Children, Clinton Foundation, the Japanese Embassy, and Biet Trust. Through the course of our work, the following are some of our notable achievements; 80% Tuberculosis cure rate, 44,599 people living with HIV and AIDS(PLWHA) placed on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART), 92% HIV infection averted through PMTCT Programme, 52,809 orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) supported, 47,897 PLWHA) reached through home base care, 233,978 Insecticide Treated Nets for prevention of malaria distributed. However, demand outstrips resources available (inadequate human resource for health, financial, supplies), long distances especially in rural areas, Most mission ,hospitals old and dilapidated, inadequate transport for both Secretariat and CHIs, Inadequate office space at the Secretariat and limited room for expansion at the crowded location in city Centre, inadequate support for sustainability initiatives
