By Cecilia Chiluba/Zambia/Lusaka,
Stunting levels in Zambia remain high, affecting about 32 percent of children under the age of five, highlighting the urgency for targeted, evidence-based interventions to tackle malnutrition.
Permanent Secretary for Administration in the Office of the Vice President, Lillian Kapusana, stressed that nutrition remains one of the most critical determinants of Zambia’s nation’s human capital and economic development, hence addressing the stunting challenge requires more than political will.
Speaking at the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN) Zambia Legacy Event in Lusaka, Ms. Kapusana emphasized the need to identify high-impact interventions, determine priority areas, and allocate adequate resources while tracking progress over time.
She said Zambia has made notable progress in strengthening the use of evidence in decision-making through the NIPN, which has helped shift the country from fragmented data systems to a more coordinated and policy-relevant approach.
“We are no longer just collecting data. We are beginning to use data to answer policy questions, to guide investments, and to strengthen accountability. This is a significant shift,” she stated.
“Despite progress, stunting remains a major challenge, affecting 32% of our under-five children.”
The event, held under the theme “From Evidence to Ownership: Securing National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN) Zambia’s Future,” marks a transition towards greater national ownership of the initiative.
The Permanent Secretary stated that this transition must be deliberate. “This transition is not automatic. It must be deliberate, coordinated, and sustained,” Ms. Kapusana emphasized.
Ms. Kapusana further called on cooperating partners to align their support with national priorities and strengthen existing systems.
She also urged academia and civil society to ensure that evidence remains credible and translates into accountability and action at community level.
Ms. Kapusana reiterated that achieving national development goals, including those outlined in the Eighth National Development Plan, will depend on strengthening the link between data, policy, and action.
“The true value of evidence is not in reports or dashboards. The true value of evidence is in the decisions it informs, the resources it guides, and the lives it improves,” she added.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to institutionalizing the NIPN within national systems and ensuring that evidence informs planning, budgeting, and implementation across sectors.
