DanChurchAid
Zambia
Poverty indicators in regression in Zambia
Within 40 years Zambia has declined from a low middle income to a low income country ranking 153 out of 173 countries in 2002.
Just after independence Zambia had a positive development trend with growth based on copper and some progress in basic social services. Unfortunately, since the seventies this has changed dramatically.
Almost all poverty indicators are in regression, and there is evidence that poverty is worsening – despite the fact that Zambia has huge natural and human resources and is receiving reconsiderable development aid.
Extreme poverty is increasing
The face of poverty in Zambia is complex and the trend is worrisome. The percentage of poor persons is increasing with a rise in urban poverty, but poverty levels in rural areas are still higher than in urban areas. Extreme poverty is increasing – mainly in urban areas. Poverty for small-scale farmers remains the same, whereas incidence of poverty has increased for mediumscale farmers, rural non-agricultural households and urban low-, medium- and high cost areas. The gap between the few rich and the many poor is constantly growing.
Violations of poor people's rigths
Violation of poor people's rights to participate in the political processes is significant as seen during the election in 2001. The constitution is weak in terms of being people based, and the electoral system needs to be changed from exclusion to democratic inclusion.
Other civil and political rights are also violated but the major causes are lack of human rights enforcement as well as performance through the laws, which again are explained in limited political will from the government in power. Lack of good governance and widespread corruption remain a political challenge for the Mwanawasa government.
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Michael Jensen
Food insecurity
Even though Zambia has lots of land and water to sparkle an agricultural sector in progress with food security, employment and export possibilities, Zambia is experiencing more and more food insecurity. The cause is to some extent natural (droughts) but the main reason is structural as the government of Zambia has not provided sufficient policies, resources and enforcement to nurture the agricultural sector, both food production and food distribution. Unemployment and weak purchasing power are other causes of food insecurity. It is a challenge for both government and NGOs to support a diversification of the Zambian's food habit from mainly maize to other nutritious food crops and small-scale meat products.
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Michael Jensen
The right to health
The health system is also getting worse every year and is increasingly put under pressure from the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Zambia being a high prevalence country with an estimated death of 300 Zambians every day leaving behind very vulnerable groups such as child- and female-headed households. Several factors preventing people from their right to health, life and security from the HIV infection are gender discriminatory environments, cultural and religious misbelieve, lack of knowledge of Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) facilities and thus knowledge of own status, stigmatisation and not the least an insufficient health sector in Zambia.
Zambia
