Since 1994, the Population Council has been a driving force in Zambia, expanding its operations in 2009 to support country-wide research on HIV prevention and treatment, reproductive health, and gender equality.

The Council has been instrumental in Zambia’s efforts to combat gender-based violence (SGBV), providing research that has informed the development of national policy and programmatic responses. Additionally, the Council has made significant contributions to reproductive health and family planning policy, conducting the first nationwide assessment of contraceptive needs, re-introducing injectable contraceptives to the country’s family planning program, and establishing best practices for program implementation at the national level. In recent years, the Council has also evaluated groundbreaking HIV interventions, such as male circumcision, to develop best practices and recommendations for country-wide scale-up and methods of delivery. Through its research and advocacy, the Population Council has become a recognized leader in Zambia’s fight against HIV and SGBV.