Zambia | Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA)

Activity Description

The USAID-funded Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA) Activity works with the Government of Zambia to expand access to improved nutrition and reduce stunting among children under age two in 13 districts across Zambia, with a focus on the Central, Copperbelt, Northern, and Luapula Provinces. Working primarily with women of reproductive age or those who are pregnant, the Activity’s seven focus areas include increasing access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation, with a portion of programming focused on training district- and village-level water, sanitation, hygiene, and community-led total sanitation champions to help ensure sustainable improvements to water and sanitation services and infrastructure. 

Activity Objectives

• Improve public health outcomes by addressing factors that contribute to stunting, such as inadequate dietary diversity among women and children; achieving minimally acceptable diets for children under age two; promoting healthy behaviors related to family planning and maternal and child health; and increasing access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. 
• Supply technical assistance to improve the delivery of high-priority maternal and child health interventions that will decrease rates of diarrheal illness and enhance the effectiveness of program management related to nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, and agriculture to reduce stunting.
• Train district- and village-level water, sanitation, and hygiene champions to facilitate access to safe water and improved sanitation in their communities. 

SUN TA has supported efforts to build toilets and handwashing facilities in its target districts, increasing access to basic sanitation for 2 millions people. This helped reduce reported diarrheal cases from 3,489 in 2018 to 1,958 in 2021, a 44 percent reduction. The Activity has also expanded access to safe drinking water to 200,000 people.

Related Links 

• Blog: A New Approach to Sanitation in Zambia
• USAID.gov Activity page: Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA)
• SUN TA documents on USAID’s Development Experience Clearinghouse 
• Zambia | GlobalWaters.org