World Bank hails Zambia’s progress in social protection, poverty reduction

The World Bank has praised Zambia for the progress and impact achieved in its social protection sector, saying the reforms had played a significant role in reducing poverty and vulnerability across the country. Among the key milestones highlighted was Zambia’s effective response to the recent drought and emergency situation, particularly through the Scaling-Up Shock Responsive Social Protection (SSRSP) project under the Social Cash Transfer Programme and the Supporting Women’s Livelihoods (SWL) initiative. The recognition came during a courtesy call on the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services by a World Bank delegation led by Technical Team Lead and Senior Social Protection Specialist, Nadia Salim.

The meeting followed the conclusion of a two-week World Bank mission on GEWEL 2. The courtesy call was attended by senior ministry officials, led by Permanent Secretaries Angela Kawandami and Beatrice Chilomo. Salim also commended Zambia for the progress made in developing the Social Register, noting that it would be instrumental in guiding targeted and strategic social protection interventions.

“Zambia’s advancements in emergency response and risk financing are admirable and position the country as a regional example in social protection,” she said. Speaking earlier, Permanent Secretary Kawandami reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to strengthening and transforming its social protection programmes to expand coverage and enhance impact. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.