Zambia Supporting an AIDS-Free Era (USAID)

Despite significant progress towards reaching HIV epidemic control, Zambia continues to struggle with one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world: 12% of persons aged 15-49 are infected, with significant impact among women and men ages 25-34 as well as adolescent girls.

The USAID SAFE: Supporting an AIDS-Free Era Program is a $142 million investment to reduce HIV mortality, morbidity, and transmission, while improving nutrition outcomes and family planning integration, in three provinces with the highest burdens of HIV: Central, Copperbelt, and North-Western. USAID SAFE works alongside the Government of the Republic of Zambia towards a vision of a nation free from the threat of HIV by 2030. USAID SAFE is the largest treatment service delivery program for USAID in Zambia, serving over 300,000 people.

In partnership with the government, private sector, and civil society institutions at the national, provincial, district, and facility levels, USAID SAFE is establishing service delivery systems where there is unmet need, strengthening existing service delivery platforms, and increasing the government’s ability to manage USAID assistance activities. The Program supports 267 public health facilities and 31 private facilities. The Program has been successful at targeting high-risk individuals with testing services: In its third year of implementation (October 2019 – September 2020), USAID SAFE identified over 10,000 people living with HIV through index testing, representing 130% of its annual target.

The program is implemented by JSI in partnership with Abt Associates and mothers2mothers.