United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative Mr. Seth Broekman has warned that Zambia’s growing youth population faces increasing vulnerability to HIV, unintended pregnancies, and gender-based violence if access to prevention services remains inconsistent.
Mr. Broekman said although national condom stocks were generally adequate, gaps in last-mile delivery continued to disrupt access to communities.
He stressed that strengthening local supply chain systems and improving real-time data management were critical to preventing shortages and enhancing service delivery.
Mr. Broekman was speaking during the opening of the Integrated Capacity Building and Training Workshop on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Condom Stock Management.
The two-day workshop has brought together officials from UNFPA, the Ministry of Health, the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), the National AIDS Council, District AIDS Coordinators, and Youth Resource Centre managers.
The training is expected to produce a validated SOP, strengthen coordination among key institutions, and equip frontline officers with skills to effectively manage condom stocks and reporting systems across the country.
Speaking at the same event, Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts Permanent Secretary Mr. Kangwa Chileshe said Government had intensified efforts to strengthen the distribution and management of condoms in Youth Resource Centres as part of broader measures aimed at improving HIV prevention services for young people.
Mr. Chileshe said uninterrupted access to sexual and reproductive health commodities remained critical to youth empowerment and national development.
He acknowledged that persistent stockouts, weak coordination, and reporting gaps within the supply chain had affected the availability of condoms at community level, thereby undermining efforts to protect young people from HIV infections and other sexual and reproductive health risks.
Mr. Chileshe said the Ministry was now prioritising the implementation of a unified Standard Operating Procedure and enhanced utilisation of the National AIDS Council Management Information System (NACMIS) to improve ordering, stock monitoring, reporting, and distribution systems across districts and Youth Resource Centres.
The Permanent Secretary was represented at the event by Director of Youth Ms. Mable Beene Nedziwe.
Samuel Mbewe