HIV — Married and long-term couples; men and women in concurrent sexual partnerships; youth in secondary and tertiary education; and high risk occupational groups (including sex workers, transport workers, uniformed personnel and fishing communities)
Malaria — pregnant women and children under five
Safe water — general households
Reproductive Health — sexually active women and men (15-49)

Episodes of malaria averted: 637,000 (explained)

Unintended pregnancies averted: 106,000 (explained)

Circle of Friends interpersonal communication (IPC) initiative since 2005

Maximum Scented condoms since 2004

New Start voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) since 2002

Mama Safenite long lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) since 2001

Clorin safe water system since 1998

Care female condoms since 1997

SafePlan oral contraceptives since 1996

Maximum condoms since 1992, with a 2004 relaunch as Maximum Classic

The Federal Republic of Germany through KfW Entwicklungsbank (the German development bank)

The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

UNICEF

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

Project Activities and Highlights

SFH’s mission is to empower low-income and vulnerable Zambians to lead healthier lives in line with the Government of Zambia’s health priorities. Social marketing harnesses both the private and public sectors to promote healthy behavior and to ensure access to quality, affordable health products and services.

Product and Service Delivery Communications

Branded communications
SFH’s interventions incorporate the use of branded communications through mass and print media, and information and education communications deliver messages to general and target populations.

Interpersonal Communications (IPC)
SFH employs outreach workers, medical detailers, drama groups and mobile video units nationwide to sensitize populations regarding all products and services. In 2005, SFH launched Circle of Friends to increase acceptance and use of oral contraceptives among women of reproductive age (15-29 years) through increased community support and peer interaction. Regular meetings at health centers feature discussions led by a medical detailer or new or satisfied users of SafePlan or other contraceptives. Men will be increasingly targeted to participate in Circle of Friends meetings. The initiative aims to empower individuals to take ownership of the program and provide information about family planning and other health issues in their communities.

HIV/AIDS

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT)
In 2002, SFH began offering VCT services by opening a New Start center in downtown Lusaka. New Start now operates fixed sites in Chipata, Kitwe and two sites in Lusaka, as well as offers mobile VCT services. The New Start center targets sexually active Zambians of reproductive age, emphasizing four key groups:
• Sexually active urban youth age 16 to 30
• Urban men and women in concurrent sexual partnerships
• Rural populations between the ages of 16 and 50

Male Circumcision (MC)
Clinical trials in South Africa, Uganda and Kenya estimate that a circumcised man is approximately 50% less likely to contract HIV than an uncircumcised man. SFH began an MC pilot project in Zambia focusing on developing comprehensive support infrastructure to provide safe, high-quality MC services. This pilot project is being run in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the University Teaching Hospital and JHPIEGO.

Malaria

Long Lasting Insecticide-treated Nets (LLINs)
SFH partners with the National Malaria Control Center in a nationwide project to distribute Mama Safenite LLINs in an effort to prevent malaria. As a national implementer of the Malaria in Pregnancy program, SFH has rolled out the program to all nine provinces. The program is managed throughout District Health Management Team centers and then through ante-natal clinics at district and ward levels, making nets easily accessible to pregnant women and children under five.

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Reproductive Health

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Child Survival

Safe Water
Contaminated water is a leading cause of diarrhea in Zambia, where only 64% of the population has access to safe drinking water sources. Among children under five, 21% have had diarrhea in the past two weeks, regardless of water source or location. Mortality among children under five is particularly high, as attempts to rehydrate children, usually with more contaminated water, often fail. SFH launched Clorin in 1998 to protect low-income Zambians from contaminated water. Clorin is an inexpensive and simple-to-use household water treatment – a sodium hypochlorite disinfectant developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clorin protects a family of six for around 12 cents a month.

Vision

Reading Glasses
In 2007 Scojo Foundation and SFH signed an agreement to make reading glasses available to the many Africans who lack this simple, essential health product and tool for economic development. Without reading glasses, people who need to see up close to earn a living, such as weavers, farmers, tailors and artisans, can lose their productivity and their ability to support their families. A fully sustainable endeavor, the initiative builds upon Scojo Foundation’s cost structure and SFH’s local knowledge of importation, marketing, and distribution to make affordable reading glasses available in urban pharmacies without the need for donor funding.

Future Plans

Expansion of male circumcision for HIV prevention

Relaunch of Care female condom

GoGo reading glasses