This report critically examines Zambia’s challenges in effectively utilizing funds allocated for pandemic preparedness and response (PPR). It highlights that despite substantial increases in overall funding, particularly from donors, significant gaps persist in budget absorption, procurement, and implementation. The document identifies key systemic bottlenecks, including delayed fund disbursement, rigid public financial management (PFM) systems, weak sub-national capacity, and fragmented coordination between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI). The report also notes that while government-funded initiatives had varied execution, donor-funded activities often achieved higher execution rates when managed through parallel or off-budget systems. To address these issues, the report provides five priority recommendations aimed at improving budget execution and strengthening Zambia’s health system resilience.
Click the link to download the report: Unspent and Unprepared Final
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