Supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3

Good Health and Well-being 

HIV and AIDS, malaria, TB and diarrhoeal diseases are major health problems in Zambia. The HIV and AIDS pandemic has pushed most families below the poverty line. According to the latest statistics from UNAID approximately 1.5 million people are living with HIV. Longevity has increased in recent years to 63 years of age. Malaria is the one of the biggest killers of man, most deaths occur in children under the age of five in Sub-Sahara Africa. Lack of safe drinking water increases the risk of diarrhoeal diseases, which can be fatal in infants.

The Butterfly Tree runs a number of health programmes in rural clinics, which receive very little funding. The most crucial is malaria prevention to outreach communities in five Chiefdoms, Mukuni, Sekute, Musokotwane and Moomba, providing mosquito nets and educational workshops. In 2015 we launched a new malaria prevention project, providing two safe products, which were first distributed in the Mukuni and Sekute Chiefdoms, and most recently in Nyawa and Moomba. This innovative method is proving to be highly effecvtive.

HIV prevention education is essential, encouraging people to be tested in order to know their status; support, counselling and treatment are also available. Our most successful HIV prevention method, using trained peer educators, works well in schools and helps to prevent new cases of HIV. Since 2006 we have provided vast amounts of medical supplies and equipment to these rural health centres.

We have an environmental officer on our team in Zambia and work with highly qualified government employed medical staff. We have an experienced Youth Worker on our UK team.

We have advanced maternity care at Mukuni, Mambova, Mahalulu, Singwamba, Kasiya, Musokotwane, Sikaunzwe, Simonga, Manyemuyemu and Sikachapa clinics, adding maternity wings and women’s shelters. Whenever possible we fund treatment for sick children, a considerable number have received financial assistance for operations, special diets, medication and physiotherapy.

An entire Health Centre was added at Mahalulu and a rural clinic was built at Muchambila in 2014.  Two further women’s shelters were added in 2015 and a new clinic for Mambova, to replace the old one, was opened in 2016. In 2017 we greatly improved the drainage and sanitation at Mukuni Health Centre. In November 2018 we completed a new health centre, which included a main clinic, maternity unit, women’s shelter and latrines at Sikaunzwe and one in Bunsanga in 2019. A new health post with staff houses, at Katondo, is being constructed in 2021.

In October 2017 we started a pioneer project in schools for the distribution of mosquito nets. The aim is to provide every pupil and teacher with a mosquito nets, 1,400 pupils and teachers at River View were the first beneficiaries. For the past 16 months there has been no absenteeism from malaria. In November 2018 all pupils and teachers at Sikaunzwe and Kawewe Schools were given mosquito nets.

2019 – saw a new health post, latrines, borehole and staff house for Bunsanga in Nyawa Chiefdom. A maternity ward and mother’s shelter were added to Simonga health post and medical supplies were given to several rural clinics. Donations of mosquito nets were distributed to Busanga and Malimba Schools as part of our ‘mosquito nets for schools’.

2020 – The Butterfly Tree supported Zambia from the onset of COVID-19 by donating a continual supply of PPE to rural clinics and schools. In addition mosquito nets were given to pupils and teachers at Moomba, Kamwi and Ndele schools.

2020 – further PPE support for COVID-19 and funding is in place to build two mother’s shelters. 650 dwellings in Moomba Chiefdom have been protected against malaria. Singwamba, Chuunga, Muyunda, Sicifulo and Katondo schools have received mosquito nets.

2022 – Katondo Health post development including a clinic, two staff houses, borehole and biodigester. Distribution of mosquito nets took place. Our HIV prevention workshops using peer education has helped to prevent new cases of HIV, teenage pregnancies and alcohol and drug abuse.

2023 – Construction of a new health post at Mabwa including a clinic, two staff houses, borehole and biodigester. Distribution of mosquito nets in schools. PPE support in clinics and provision of medical equipment and supplies.

Our support is vital – without it these vulnerable people would have limited medical services.