nutrition

ZAMBIA NUTRITION KEY FIGURES

Zambia has reduced stunting among children under five from 35% to 32% in recent years, and the government has set a target to further cut the rate to 15% by 2030 through a multisectoral approach coordinated by the Office of the Vice President.

The National Food and Nutrition Commission leads implementation, with a fully government funded school feeding programme now covering 106 districts and a National Information Platform for Nutrition transitioning from donor support to full state ownership.

Stunting Reduction and National Targets

Zambia has reduced stunting among children under five from 35% to 32% despite challenges posed by climate change, including severe drought and cholera outbreaks, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Vice President Lillian Kapusana told the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris^[1]. The government has set a target to further drop stunting rates to 15% by 2030 by increasing nutrition specific and sensitive investments across key sectors through a multisectoral approach involving ministries, development partners and civil society^[1]. Zambia’s commitments include deploying 80 nutritionists across districts through the National Food and Nutrition Commission, with full coverage targeted by 2026 so that all 116 districts deliver an evidence based, integrated package of nutrition interventions reaching at least 90% of the population^[1]. The coordination function for the malnutrition response sits under the Office of the Vice President pursuant to the National Food and Nutrition Act No. 3 of 2020^[1], and government has fully funded a school feeding programme that has expanded to 106 districts nationwide^[1]. In April 2026, government committed to fully integrate the National Information Platform for Nutrition into national systems and budgets, marking a formal shift from donor supported operations to full state ownership so that evidence continues to guide district prioritisation and resource allocation^[2].

Food Systems Transformation

The Office of the Vice President is coordinating a food systems transformation plan built around four areas: policy coordination, stakeholder collaboration, sustainable solutions and implementation strategies, aligned with President Hakainde Hichilema’s commitment made at the United Nations General Assembly that no one should go to bed hungry^[3]. The plan targets three outcomes: economic and social transformation in food value chains, improved food security and nutrition, and increased consumption of traditional foods^[3]. It is being implemented with the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, UN Zambia and the National Food and Nutrition Commission, and government runs the Feed Zambia, Zero Hunger Programme aligned with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme^[3].

Investment Opportunities

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa has outlined its Zambia work programme around seed systems development, soil health improvement, irrigation development, and market access and finance for smallholder farmers, particularly women^[3], marking out these as the specific areas where development-finance-backed agricultural investment is already active in support of the government’s nutrition agenda. The Office of the Vice President has explicitly called for greater private sector collaboration to scale up nutrition-sensitive interventions and food systems transformation, with the UN Food Systems Hub’s regional specialist stating that private investment should lead government to where viable businesses are, pointing to nutritious food production, marketing and infrastructure development as open areas for private capital^[3].

Last Update: September 2026

References

1. Office of the Vice President, Zambia Reaffirms Commitment to Ending Malnutrition at Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris, March 2025
2. Office of the Vice President, Govt to Fully Absorb NiPN Nutrition Platform as It Shifts From Donor Support to State Ownership, April 2026
3. Office of the Vice President, Office of the Vice President Commits to Transforming Zambia’s Food System, February 2025