Strategic Planning and Information Management (SPIM)
The Strategic Planning and Information Management (SPIM) pillar coordinates strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, and research, and manages information management systems to ensure that ZNPHI’s operations and programmes are evidence-informed and data-driven. The pillar strives to ensure that ZNPHI’s resources and efforts are strategically directed toward high-impact public health priorities and interventions.
What We Do
Lead Strategy, Planning, and Budgeting
The Planning Unit sets the roadmap for ZNPHI’s short- and long-term goals. We are responsible for developing and reviewing strategic, operational, and annual work plans to ensure every department is working achieving the institute’s mandate. By aligning our institutional priorities with national and global health frameworks, we ensure that resources are directed toward the most urgent public health priorities. We also track implementation progress, creating a culture of accountability and high performance across the entire institute.
Drive Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
The M&E unit focuses on results and measurable impact. We lead the institute’s efforts to track project performance, ensuring that every program achieves its targets and stays on schedule. This is attained through regular data audits and periodic evaluations. Our commitment to “adaptive management” means that we are not just reporting on the past but using current data to refine the institute’s strategies and foster a culture of continuous institutional learning.
Coordinate Public Health Security Research
Guided by the ZNPHI Act No. 15 of 2024, the Research Unit coordinates public health security research nationwide to build a stronger evidence base. We develop and implement a national public health security research agenda that ensures local studies address Zambia’s specific health security needs and priorities. By supporting operational research, we find practical ways to improve program delivery and emergency response. Our goal is to promote generation of scientific evidence that informs national health policy and programming.
Strengthen ICT and Information Management
This unit builds and manages the digital infrastructure that powers our national health security. We implement and maintain the sophisticated information systems required for early disease detection and rapid response, including the eIDSR, ZEBRA, and PHSIMS platforms. From providing daily technical hardware support to managing high-level system architecture, we ensure that health data is collected, analyzed, and shared securely to support preparedness and timely intervention during public health threats.
The Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (eIDSR)  system serves as Zambia’s digital early-warning network for public health threats. It replaces manual reporting with a high-speed digital platform that connects health facilities across the country to the Zambia National Public Health Institute in real-time. By digitizing disease surveillance, eIDSR ensures that data on priority diseases is captured instantly, allowing for faster detection and a more coordinated national response. The eIDSR system supports:
- Real-Time Data Collection from health facilities to eliminate delays in disease reporting.
- Early Outbreak Detection through automated alerts when disease cases rise above normal levels.
- Data-Driven Decision Making by providing health officials with accurate, up-to-the-minute statistics.
- Improved Reporting Quality by reducing errors and ensuring consistent monitoring of national health indicators.
Better Data, Faster Response, Healthier Communities The eIDSR system is the backbone of our national surveillance strategy. By moving from paper to digital, we ensure that no outbreak goes unnoticed and no time is lost. Our technical teams work to:
- Maintain a secure, nationwide digital reporting network.
- Train health workers to report disease data accurately and instantly.
- Analyze trends to predict and prevent future health crises.
Zambia Emergency Bridge for Response Application (ZEBRA)
The ZEBRA platform is Zambia’s specialized tool for managing public health emergencies and large-scale response operations. Designed to act as a “bridge” between information and action, ZEBRA streamlines how teams coordinate during a crisis, ensuring that resources, personnel, and life-saving interventions are deployed where they are needed most. The ZEBRA application supports:
- Emergency Event Tracking to monitor the status and spread of active health emergencies.
- Resource Coordination by managing the logistics of medical supplies, vehicles, and personnel.
- Incident Management through a centralized dashboard that helps response leaders make quick, informed choices.