NAC Zambia nac.org.zm 
A five-member team of health related professionals from Charles R Drew University (CDU) in Los Angeles, California in the United States of America today 12th September 2022, visited the National AIDS Council to explore ways of scaling up and sustaining the Girls Rise Up Project run under the support of the University.
Led by Deborah Prothrow-Stith who is Professor of Internal Medicine, members expressed a desire to make the project sustainable while leveraging on synergies with other programmes championing the welfare of adolescent girls and young women.
The discussion centred around securing political will to ensure local ownership, sustainability and scaling up of the Rise Up Project which so far is only in two provinces of Lusaka and Copperbelt.
In Lusaka, the project is in Kanyama, Chawama, Matero and Chilenje and in Chimwemwe, Kitwe on the Copperbelt Province.
CDU is a private, non-profit, community founded, student-centred University committed to cultivating diverse health professional leaders who are dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations through outstanding education, clinical service and community engagement.
CDU is also a leader in health disparities research with a focus on education, training, treatment and care in cancer, diabetes, cardio metabolic and HIV and AIDS.
In Zambia, CDU works under the umbrella of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Global Health Consortium established in 2017 to address the social determinants and health inequalities existing in Zambia’s health care system.
The Rise Up Project is modelled around youth friendly safe spaces using houses within communities as meeting places for girls to carry out different health and entrepreneurial activities like growing and selling vegetables.
The project works in close collaboration with Neighbourhood Health Committees (NHCs) and health facilities to provide for the health needs of girls.
NAC Director General Dr Connie Osborne assured the visitors of the organisation’s willingness to support Rise Up Project by exploring ways of making it sustainable.
