Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening evidence-based planning through the generation and use of reliable, localised demographic, social and economic data.
Ministry of Finance and National Planning Permanent Secretary for Planning and Administration, Prudence Kaoma, says quality data is critical for sound policy formulation, equitable resource allocation and effective public service delivery.
Ms Kaoma was speaking in Lusaka today during a dissemination meeting on the findings of a sub-national study on the interconnected vulnerabilities affecting adolescents.
Ms Kaoma said this was particularly important as Zambia prepares for the Ninth National Development Plan, which will run from 2027 to 2031, alongside the Ninth United Nations Development Cooperation Framework and the Tenth UNFPA Country Programme.
The Permanent Secretary said the development processes provided an opportunity to ensure that interventions were informed by accurate data and that no community was left behind.
“National indicators may suggest overall progress, while vulnerable populations continue to experience poor access to education, health services, employment opportunities and other essential services,” Ms Kaoma said.
And United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative, Seth Broekman said the study had exposed the need for coordinated action against what he termed the “triangle harm” of adolescent pregnancy, HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and Gender-Based Violence, including child marriage.
Mr Broekman said Zambia’s adolescents, who account for 26 percent of the country’s population, represented a critical opportunity for the country to unlock a demographic dividend through sustained investment in their health, education and protection.
“Addressing one risk in isolation leaves our youth dangerously exposed to the other two,” he said.
Mr Broekman noted that although child marriage had declined from 50 percent in 1992 to 24 percent in 2024, adolescent pregnancy remained high at an average of 28.5 percent, demonstrating the need for targeted interventions based on sub-national realities.
Meanwhile, Network on Ending Child Marriage in Zambia Chairperson, Womba Wanki said national statistics, while important, could mask significant variations in the drivers of child marriage and violence against women and girls across different communities.
Ms Wanki said the drivers of vulnerability ranged from climate change, drought and food insecurity in some parts of Southern Province to school dropout, substance abuse, overcrowding and gender-based violence in informal settlements.
“Child marriage is not a uniform problem, violence against children is not a uniform problem, and therefore our solutions cannot be uniform either,” she said.
Ms Wanki indicated that the Network, which brings together 58 civil society organisations, would continue working with Government, UN agencies, development partners, academia and communities to strengthen evidence generation and ensure that every girl, regardless of where she lives, is seen, counted and reached.
Ms Kaoma urged ministries, cooperating partners and civil society organisations to use the study findings in the design, implementation and monitoring of programmes, saying evidence-based planning would help improve public expenditure, reduce inequalities and accelerate national development.
