Côte d’Ivoire Family Planning Budget Scorecard
Zambia Family Planning Budget Scorecard
Zambia's Family Planning Budget Commitments
To support the achievement of its FP2020 commitments, in 2012, the government of Zambia pledged to double its budgetary allocation to family planning (FP) commodities. Under its revitalized commitments to FP2030, declared in 2023, the government stated that it would increase resources for FP commodities by at least 36% annually. Zambia has an Integrated Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan and Business Case 2021-2026, recently approved by the minister of health, who has approved the latest FP2030 commitments. Both of these policies detail the government’s intentions toward increasing and spending domestic resources for FP commodities and programs.
Given the impact of COVID-19 and the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) aid cuts on donor resources for FP, domestic resource mobilization for FP has become more important than ever. The FCDO cut 85% ($180 million) of its contribution to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for 2021, most of which went to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership. According to the FCDO, the aid cuts will likely continue through at least 2023 or 2024. Zambia has been affected by these cuts given the government’s dependence on FP commodities provided by UNFPA.
Zambia’s Performance on the FY 2021 FP Budget Scorecard
Developed by the Centre for Reproductive Health and Education (CRHE), in collaboration with PAI, this scorecard is an advocacy tool highlighting the findings of the organization’s FP budget tracking using the Common Framework, a set of indicators used for monitoring government spending on FP. In addition to data on indicators, the scorecard evaluates the transparency of FP budget data. The scorecard is a product of PAI’s Government Accountability for Family Planning Budgets initiative.
Prior to FY 2019 when the government of Zambia shifted from Activity-Based Budgeting to Output-Based Budgeting, Zambia’s Yellow Book (national budget) had a reproductive health items budget line, which included both FP and maternal health commodities (safe delivery kits). In FY 2021, the government allocated 15.7 million Zambian kwacha (ZWK) for FP commodities, which was over 100% of the ZWK 13.8 million total funding need. Data on FP commodities were extracted from the FY 2021 FP commodities allocation report provided to CRHE by the Ministry of Health.
Recommendations to increase government ownership of Zambia’s FP programs and to improve the transparency of FP budget data include:
- The Ministry of Health should spend funds allocated to reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition as per the 2022-2026 National Health Strategic Plan.
- The Ministry of Health should re-establish the FP programs budget line in the Output-Based Budget, given that the FP costed implementation plan for 2021-2026 highlights specific costs for FP programs that must be monitored for accountability.
- The Ministry of Health should publish its annual reports on its website within one year after the end of the fiscal year, including budget data related to FP commodities.
- The Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency should publish its procurement plan in line with the government’s disbursement data on its website.
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