Building a Sustainable SRS-VS: Lessons in Resource Mobilisation and Investment Strategy from Zambia
This webinar was held in October 2025 for recipients of a planning grant to develop sample registration systems in Africa. Dr. Stephen Longa Chanda from the Zambia National Public Health Institute explained how his country built an investment case and then received resources from nonprofit and government sources.
Watch the webinar:
Benefits of a sample registration system
To build an effective sample registration system (SRS) in Zambia, it was important for the demonstrate that the system offered cross-sector benefits.
Other keys to building support and obtaining funding for Zambia’s SRS system included:
• Developing mechanisms for continuous stakeholder engagement and feedback.
• Mapping stakeholders to SRS operations that aligned with their program/institutional objectives.
• Considering direct and indirect financing strategies.
• Ensuring a minimum viable product is possible with predictable funding.
• Identifying opportunities to maintain the project’s visibility.
Demonstrating cross-sector benefits
To build an effective sample registration system (SRS) in Zambia, it was important for the demonstrate that the system offered cross-sector benefits.
Other keys to building support and obtaining funding for Zambia’s SRS system included:
• Developing mechanisms for continuous stakeholder engagement and feedback.
• Mapping stakeholders to SRS operations that aligned with their program/institutional objectives.
• Considering direct and indirect financing strategies.
• Ensuring a minimum viable product is possible with predictable funding.
• Identifying opportunities to maintain the project’s visibility.
Like most countries, Zambia’s civil vital registration system (CRVS) is incomplete, based on census data analysis. This is especially true in rural areas. The problem became more apparent during covid-19 pandemic, when the data showed the “African paradox” of lower mortality, which likely was due to undercounting. Estimates suggest that only about 1/44 covid deaths were counted.
The project’s implementers identified different funders which offered:
1) Direct financing, meaning funds directly given to the project, and
2) Indirect financing, which represented non-monetary support.
Ultimately the project was funded by the Gates Foundation, the United States Centers for Disease Control, the Zambia National Public Health Institute, and the Global Fund.
Learn more: ZNPHI Website
To download the slide deck from this presentation, click “Get the Tools” in the upper righthand corner of this page.
