DeafKidz International joins global partners to improve access for underserved communities in Zambia.
A new community-based ear and hearing care project has officially launched in Zambia, aiming to tackle one of the most overlooked areas of public health: chronic ear conditions and hearing loss.
Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the initiative brings together Zambart, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Malawi–Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, DeafKidz International, and the Cambodia University of Technology and Science. The project will also work in Malawi and Cambodia, but Zambia marked the first national launch with an event at Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka on 23 July 2025.
The launch brought together 54 participants, including senior Ministry of Health officials, researchers, clinicians, community leaders, and representatives from partner organisations.
Honourable Princess Kasune, MP for Kembe Constituency and Minister of Justice, praised the initiative for addressing the “fundamental human right” of hearing health and called it “social inclusion in action.”
Speaking on behalf of DeafKidz International (DKI) Zambia, Project Manager Agness Nalomba outlined DKI’s role in ensuring the project addresses the needs of deaf children, one of the most marginalised groups in low-resource settings. DeafKidz International will lead on community engagement and support a work package focusing on the lived experiences of deaf children, as well as contributing expertise in child protection through innovative tools such as DeafKidz Defenders and local sign language resources.
The event also featured powerful testimonies from community members, district health representatives, and people with lived experience of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), highlighting the urgent need for improved services.
The project will now move into formative research in Ipongo and Katondo, before rolling out its four main work packages in September 2025.