Consortium Challenges Health Bill

Health groups reject reforms, warn against increased private sector influence in regulation, call for revisions to protect integrity of health regulation and demand meaningful consultation and representation

By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia — (13/04/2026)

A consortium of seven health professional associations representing over 86 percent of Zambia’s regulated health workforce has challenged the proposed Health Professions (Amendment) Bill No. 23 of 2026, rejecting the reforms and warning that they risk increasing private sector influence, undermining regulatory integrity and excluding practitioners from meaningful participation.

Speaking during a joint media briefing, Clinical Officers’ Association of Zambia (COAZ) Secretary General Dr. Musonda Kamfwa said the consortium opposes the bill in its current form because it seeks to alter the governance structure of the Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) by reducing the role of health professionals while expanding non-practitioner representation.

The proposed amendment aims to revise the composition of the HPCZ board, a statutory body established under the Health Professions Act No. 17 of 2024 to regulate health practitioners, facilities and standards of care in Zambia.

Dr. Kamfwa said at the media briefing that while health professionals support progressive reforms, they “do not accept regression.

He.argued that the bill risks excluding practitioners from decisions that directly affect healthcare delivery and patient safety.

He noted that the current proposal reduces professional representation to a single, undefined position while introducing multiple private sector representatives, a move the consortium says could distort the council’s mandate.

“Professional regulation is not a commercial function. It is a public trust,” he said.

He added that the HPCZ is funded largely by practitioners through licensing fees and exists to safeguard public health.

He further argued that removing health professionals from governance contradicts international best practice, where regulatory bodies are typically led by practitioners who understand clinical standards, ethics and accountability.

Dr. Kamfwa said the development has also raised concerns about consistency in policymaking.

He noted that stakeholders had previously raised similar objections during the enactment of the 2024 law, which were not addressed.

The associations are now questioning why government is seeking to amend legislation that had already been flagged as flawed prior to its enactment.

Dr. Kamfwa emphasised that health professionals remain central to maintaining standards of care and should not be sidelined in regulatory governance.

“Any law that governs our practice must be shaped with us, not for us, and certainly not without us,” he said.

The consortium has urged government, the Ministry of Health and Members of Parliament to engage stakeholders and ensure that any amendments strengthen, rather than weaken, the country’s health regulatory framework.

Adding to the concerns, Zambia Society of Physiotherapy Vice President Mwiya Katukula Muya clarified that the issue is not opposition to reform itself, but the manner in which it is being pursued.

He explained that the health sector is diverse, covering preventive, curative, diagnostic and rehabilitative services, and therefore cannot be adequately represented by a single voice on the regulatory board.

Muya stressed that meaningful representation of different professional groups is essential to ensure balanced decision-making and effective regulation that protects public health.

Clinical Officers’ Association of Zambia (COAZ) President Dr. Jones Neba warned that if the bill is passed in its current form, it could weaken oversight and compromise the quality of healthcare delivery in the country.

He said sidelining professionals from regulatory governance risks lowering standards, as key decisions would be made without sufficient technical expertise, potentially leading to inconsistencies in training, licensing and enforcement of ethical practices.

Zambia Environmental Health Practitioners Association President Titus Hakoonde cautioned that the proposed amendments could create serious regulatory gaps, particularly in areas of public health surveillance, sanitation and environmental safety.

He warned that weakening professional input in governance could lead to poor coordination in disease prevention systems and reduce the country’s capacity to respond effectively to environmental and public health risks.

Hakoonde further stated that environmental health practitioners play a critical role in safeguarding communities from outbreaks linked to water, waste management and food safety.

He added that excluding such expertise from decision-making structures could expose the country to preventable health crises.

The consortium has since called for revisions to the bill to increase representation of health professional associations on the HPCZ board, ensure balanced inclusion of both public and private training institutions, and limit private sector representation.

It warned that failure to incorporate these changes would result in strong opposition to the bill.