Congregational Impact: Cholera Prevention through Interfaith Leadership

In response to the devastating cholera outbreak in late 2023, UNICEF and the Zambia Interfaith Networking Group (ZINGO) launched a nationwide initiative that placed faith leaders at the forefront of community health efforts. At the heart of this initiative were the Multifaith Action Coordinating Committees, both at the national and district levels, which played a critical role in mobilizing communities and implementing effective prevention messaging and strategies.

Religious leaders worked in close collaboration with health professionals and district health

officials, becoming key facilitators of cholera awareness and prevention. Through workshops and outreach programs, over 300 religious leaders were trained and equipped with vital information about cholera transmission and prevention measures. These

leaders, in turn, extended their knowledge to their congregations, ensuring that life-saving information reached thousands across the country.

As the outbreak escalated in 2024, ZINGO intensified its faith-based response, mobilizing

religious leaders and their communities to take action. A total of 312 religious leaders from six sub-districts in Lusaka were trained in cholera prevention strategies. Their efforts led to

widespread engagement in public health campaigns, improved hygiene practices, and large-scale cleanup drives aimed at reducing the spread of the disease.

Chawama and Kanyama congregations (EFZ & ICOZ) spearheaded communityled clean-up campaigns and door-to-door health education sessions, successfully reaching over 1.63 million people with cholera prevention messages.

Faith leaders collaborated with subdistrict health officials, reinforcing public health policies and ensuring the sustainability of sanitation and hygiene initiatives. Training of Religious Leaders in mainstreaming Cholera messages in the running order of the Faith communities

Throughout 2024, ZINGO organized and facilitated a series of radio programs focused on cholera prevention and public health. These programs featured religious leaders who were trained as health ambassadors and broadcasted crucial information to urban and rural communities. Religious leaders participated in weekly radio discussions on health topics such as clean water access, handwashing techniques, and sanitation practices, directly reaching thousands of listeners across Lusaka and beyond helping to reinforce key hygiene practices and prevent further outbreaks. The radio programs also provided interactive

platforms for listeners to ask questions, clarify doubts on the cholera vaccines and receive personalized advice from trained religious leaders and health experts. Their collective efforts not only raised awareness but also instilled long-term behavioral change, significantly reducing cholera cases in affected areas.

"Through ZINGO’s training, we have not only preached about health but acted as health ambassadors.

Our communities are more conscious about sanitation and hygiene, and cholera cases have dropped significantly. The integration of religious leadership into public health efforts demonstrates the power of faith communities in driving social change. Faith leaders’ trusted voices and grassroots networks in Zambia are proving that interfaith collaboration can go beyond spiritual guidance and it can be a lifesaving force in times of crisis.