World unites for women’s right to choose
This vision is at the heart of World Contraception Day (WCD), a global campaign launched in 2007 to promote awareness of contraception and empower individuals to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health.
This year’s theme, “A Choice for All: Freedom to Plan, Power to Choose,” resonates deeply in Zambia, a country that, three decades ago at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, made a solemn pledge: to ensure every childbirth is safe, every young person’s potential is fulfilled, and every woman has the right to decide if and when to have children.
In Chawama 17-year-old Memory (not her real name) waits nervously.
She walk to Chawama Level One Hospital for contraceptives, only to be told the facility has run out and was told to buy at a nearest Pharmacy but she does not have money.
For her, the choice is stark, risk an unintended pregnancy, or return home empty-handed.
Chipo’s story is far from unique.
While government statistics show Zambia’s contraceptive prevalence rate for married women has risen to 52 percent, the unmet need for family planning remains stubbornly at 16 percent.
Behind these percentages are young women, rural families, and marginalized groups whose struggles rarely make it into official speeches.
Thirty years ago, at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Zambia promised its people that every pregnancy would be wanted, every childbirth safe, and every young person’s potential fulfilled. Today, that vision remains only partly realized.
This year, on World Contraception Day, the Ministry of Health proudly announced a 67 percent increase in domestic funding for reproductive health commodities from 2.7 million dollars in 2023 to 4.5 million in 2025.
“Family planning is not just about numbers. It is about dignity, health, and opportunity,” Dr. Lishimpi emphasized.
He has revealed that the government has increased its domestic funding for reproductive health commodities to $4.5 million in 2025 a 67% rise from 2023.
“This is a clear demonstration of our resolve to achieve self-sufficiency and ensure a consistent supply of essential health commodities for our people,” he said.
Beyond funding, Zambia is strengthening its healthcare workforce. In 2025 alone, hundreds of providers have been trained in administering Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs).
The Ministry has also broken new ground by integrating disability inclusion into service delivery. A basic sign language module is now part of the national nursing and midwifery curricula, making health services more accessible to the hearing-impaired.
“These steps reflect our commitment to leaving no one behind,” Dr. Lishimpi added.
But interviews with health workers and youth advocates paint a more complicated picture.
Stock-outs remain common in rural health facilities, and adolescents continue to face stigma when they seek contraceptive services.
UNFPA’s latest data reveals that Zambia’s adolescent fertility rate 118 births per 1,000 girls remains one of the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“In 2024 alone, UNFPA-supported supplies prevented 18 million unintended pregnancies, 7.5 million unsafe abortions, and 39,000 maternal deaths worldwide,” he noted.
In Zambia, UNFPA has not only helped secure the 67% increase in domestic funding for reproductive health commodities but also strengthened supply chains.
From the rollout of the electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS) in Luapula Province to equipping the National Supply Chain Coordinating Unit with advanced data tools, the goal is clear: no woman, man, or adolescent should miss access to contraceptives due to stock-outs or distribution delays.
Mr. Broekman has also flagged persistent challenges: “Adolescent fertility remains among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, at 118 births per 1,000 young women. Only 34% of sexually active girls and 53% of boys aged 15–24 use condoms. We must do more to address these gaps.”
To respond, UNFPA has invested in training 229 healthcare providers in long-acting contraceptive services and procured modern family planning teaching models for medical institutions.
Experts argue that unless access is widened to underserved areas and systemic bottlenecks are addressed, Zambia risks falling short of its 2030 targets under the Sustainable Development Goals.
For girls like Chipo, the promise of “freedom to plan” remains out of reach. And the question that lingers, thirty years after Cairo, is this: how long will Zambia’s most vulnerable women and girls have to wait before family planning becomes a right, not a privilege?
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