The WHO World Health Report (2003) indicates an adult mortality27 rate per 1000 population of 700 for males and 654 for females. Life expectancy for males is 39.1; for females 40.2. Healthy life expectancy is 34.8 for males; 35.0 for females.28
HIV/AIDS is a huge burden for sub-Saharan Africa. Throughout the region in 2003, an estimated 23-27 million people were thought to be living with the disease which also caused up to 2.5 million deaths. This represents a huge loss and impacts significantly on health systems and social and family structures.29
Zambia is one of the worst HIV/AIDS-affected countries in Southern Africa. Estimates suggest that between 730,000 and 1.1million people were living with HIV/AIDS in Zambia at the end of 2003; AIDS related deaths were thought to be as high as 130,000 (Table 3).
Table 3 Country HIV and AIDS estimates, end 2003
Adult (15-49)
HIV prevalence rate |
16.5%
(range: 13.5%-20.0%) |
Adults (15-49)
living with HIV |
830 000
(range: 680 000-1 000 000) |
Adults and children (0-49)
living with HIV |
920 000
(range: 730 000-1 100 000) |
Women (15-49)
living with HIV |
470 000
(range: 380 000-570 000) |
AIDS deaths
(adults and children)
in 2003 |
89 000
(range: 63 000-130 000) |
UNAIDS reports:
Zambia's most critical developmental and humanitarian crisis today is HIV/AIDS. The projected life expectancy has reduced from 60 years at birth (without HIV/AIDS) to 45 years due to the scourge (2002 ZDHS figures). The high mortality rate among adults has increased the number of orphans to about one million as at 2002.
Zambia's government established the National AIDS Council (NAC), and in 2002 a National Strategic Framework was developed. The National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Interventions Strategic Plan, with a budget of US$ 558 702 000 for four years (2002–2005), pursues the following objectives: promotion of behaviour change, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, safe blood transfusion, voluntary counselling and testing, care and support for people living with HIV and orphans and vulnerable children, development of an information system database, and coordination of multisectoral interventions at district, provincial and national levels.
The government has made a commitment to provide antiretroviral drugs to 100 000 people infected with HIV by the end of 2005 under the WHO/UNAIDS "3 by 5" Initiative.30
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