News and Opinions  –  2026

Maarifa Kids Zambia: Children as key AMR stakeholders

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2026-09-24

Children are often viewed as the beneficiaries of public health interventions, with adults making decisions on their behalf. Yet, children are key stakeholders in their own right, capable of understanding health challenges, contributing solutions and influencing behaviours within their families, schools and communities.

Group of school girls presenting about AMR at Munali secondary school in Lusaka. The school is engaged in the Maarifa kids project by ReAct Africa.
Schoolgirls presenting on AMR at Munali Secondary School in Lusaka as part of the Maarifa Kids project. Photo: ReAct Africa.

Through Maarifa Kids Zambia, ReAct Africa is working to strengthen the meaningful participation of children in addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), recognising that their voices, experiences and ideas are essential to building healthier communities.

In June 2026, ReAct Africa, in partnership with Global Shapers Lusaka Hub, engaged 542 students from Munali Boys and Munali Girls Secondary Schools in Lusaka. The interactive sessions introduced students to AMR, explored its drivers and encouraged them to develop innovative solutions to address the challenge.

Understanding what children already know

Baseline knowledge assessments conducted before the sessions provided insights into children’s understanding of antibiotics, AMR and infection prevention.

521 school children responded

Among 289 boys assessed:

  • The average knowledge score was 79.7%.
  • While 94.5% correctly recognised that AMR can make infections harder to treat, only 56.7% understood that antibiotics should not be shared with friends or family.

Similarly, 232 girls completed the baseline assessment:

  • Recording an average knowledge score of 78.79%.
  • 74.14% identified schools as a source of health information, while 64.66% identified parents or guardians.

Although overall awareness was relatively high, the findings revealed specific knowledge gaps requiring targeted education.

The assessments also highlighted the importance of children’s immediate social environments.

These findings demonstrate the importance of engaging children within the networks through which health information is shared.

From learners to agents of change

Group of boys at Munali Secondary School in Lusaka, Zambia discussing drivers of AMR. Photo: ReAct Africa.
Group of boys at Munali Secondary School in Lusaka, Zambia, discussing the drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as part of the Maarifa Kids project. Photo: ReAct Africa.

Beyond receiving information, students actively identified AMR drivers and proposed solutions, including medicine reminder applications, AI-powered assistants, podcasts and social media campaigns.

Their ideas demonstrate that children have the capacity to contribute meaningfully to public health discussions when given the opportunity.

A child who understands responsible antibiotic use can share that knowledge with friends, question inappropriate practices at home and encourage healthier behaviours among peers.

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