Zambia faces significant challenges within its communities, rooted in under-resourced services, discriminatory practices by state agents, high rates of trauma and disability among vulnerable populations, and weak linkages between law enforcement and public health sectors. However, the country also possesses important assets: established public health infrastructure through Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI), progressive disability legislation, civil society organisations championing reform, and emerging political will for change.
The evidence base from multiple countries demonstrates that trauma-informed policing, combined with strong law enforcement-public health partnerships for prevention, can transform outcomes for vulnerable populations, reduce unnecessary criminalisation, improve public safety, and enhance police legitimacy (Shepherd & Sumner, 2017; Dusto, 2021; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025).
For Zambia, with its extremely young population (median age 17.9 years), implementing these approaches now offers potential to break intergenerational cycles of trauma, violence, and criminal justice involvement, improving wellbeing for millions across the lifespan.
Led by Alex Chitumbo, Danny Mwinanu Mwala, and Larry Lubinda Mooka and collaborating with members of GLEPHA and the ALEPHN, Trauma-informed Zambia seeks to address the intersection of gender-based violence, mental health, and policing in Zambia. The initiative seeks to bridge the gap between law enforcement and public health by fostering trauma-informed approaches, improving cross-sector collaboration, and promoting leadership development among police and community leaders.
Recognizing the limited integration between policing and mental health services in Zambia, the team is developing strategies to raise awareness, build capacity, and strengthen community engagement. Their vision is to support a more compassionate and informed police response to gender-based violence and mental health issues, creating safer, healthier communities across Zambia.
Professor Stan Gilmour, in collaboration with the team, has started to develop a resource and toolkit which will support this initiative moving forward. The resource can be found here: https://www.howpreventionworks.com/knowledge/zambia-trauma-informed-toolkit/
Advisory Board: Dr Larissa Engelmann (GLEPHA Board Member), Professor Stan Gilmour (GLEPHA Fellow), Professor Inga Heyman (GLEPHA Fellow), Rishma Maini (Public Health Scotland), Meamui Gloria Mubita (Zambia Police)
TEAM BIOGRAPHY’S
Alex Chitumbo
Alex Chitumbo is an accomplished development professional and social impact leader from Zambia with over a decade of experience designing and leading large-scale, donor-funded programs, advancing gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, empowerment of inmates, education, and sexual and reproductive health. He has successfully led transformative initiatives supported by USAID, DFID, BMZ, and the European Union, building inclusive and resilient communities across Zambia. This includes coordinating the International Citizens Service (ICS): A youth volunteering program funded by the UK Department for International Development. He is a recipient of the 2024 StartUp Africa Social Impact Award, presented in the USA for his outstanding contribution to social change and inclusive development in Zambia.
Currently serving as Director of Programs and Partnerships at Special Hope Network, Alex champions the rights of children with intellectual disabilities, challenging harmful myths, addressing stigma and discrimination, fostering inclusive communities, training community advocates, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. Previously, as Project Manager on a USAID-funded project, Alex mentored over 1,600 boys, helping them make informed health choices. He also leveraged his expertise as a certified Coaching Boys into Men trainer to mentor 2,400 boys, challenging harmful gender norms and promoting gender equality within their communities through mentorship and sport-based programs.
As a 2025-2026 Chevening Scholar, Alex is currently pursuing his MA in Development Studies at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK, under the Institute of Development Studies, ranked 1st globally for Development Studies. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work.
He is a recipient of multiple prestigious fellowships and international awards, including the prestigious Chevening Scholarship, awarded by the UK Government in recognition of his leadership and social impact. Alex is an alumnus of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, a flagship program of the U.S. Government, and was placed under the Civic Engagement track at the University of Delaware, where he was named the Most Proactive Fellow of the 2024 cohort. He also received the Commonwealth Professional Fellowship award and was placed at Lifegate Outreach Centre in the United Kingdom. He is an alumnus of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and the One Million Leaders Africa Fellowship.
With expertise in program design and implementation, advocacy, community engagement, and leadership development, Alex remains deeply committed to creating equitable systems that protect and empower marginalized communities, inspiring a new generation of leaders to build a more inclusive and just society across Zambia and beyond.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alex-10/
Danny Mwinanu Mwala
Danny Mwinanu Mwala is a Fraud and Cybercrime Investigator, an advocate for cyber hygiene, and a Technology Gender-based Violence (TGBV) advocate in Zambia, currently based at the Zambia Police Headquarters. He is a Chevening Scholar alumnus (2023/2024) cohort and an African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) 2025 alumnus, holding an MSc in Cybersecurity from the University of Kent, England, and a BSc in Computer Systems and Networking from the University of Greenwich. His professional focus lies at the intersection of cybersecurity governance, digital justice, and trauma-informed policing, where he advocates for integrating public health perspectives into digital investigations to promote humane, rights-based law enforcement practices.
Danny’s work centers on strengthening Zambia’s response to cybercrime, digital fraud, and online harms through a holistic approach that combines technological, legal, and psychosocial dimensions. At the Zambia Police Service, he investigates complex fraud and cyber-enabled offenses while promoting policy alignment with regional and global cybersecurity frameworks such as the Malabo Convention and the AU Data Policy Framework.
He champions trauma-informed policing, recognizing that both victims and investigators of cybercrime face significant psychological stress. His initiatives advocate for the inclusion of mental health support systems, psychological first aid, and de-escalation training in law enforcement operations.
Through his engagements at the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) 2025 and ongoing collaboration with the Law Enforcement and Public Health (LEPH) community, Danny contributes to shaping a future where security, justice, and mental well-being reinforce one another in the pursuit of a resilient, inclusive, and rights-based digital ecosystem for Zambia and Africa at large.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danny-m-661314140
Larry Lubinda Mooka
Larry Mooka is a seasoned Public Health Specialist, Social Behaviour Change Officer, Lecturer, and public health leader with over 15 years of progressive experience in Zambia’s health sector. He currently serves as Social Behaviour Change Officer at the National Malaria Elimination Centre under the Global Fund-supported programme, where he leads strategic social and behaviour change interventions aimed at accelerating malaria elimination efforts. He also serves as the Secretary General of the Public Health Association of Zambia (PHAZ) and is a Member of the Health Technical Working Group under the Public Private Dialogue Forum of the Government of the Republic of Zambia, where he contributes to policy dialogue, multi-sectoral collaboration, and the strengthening of Zambia’s health systems.
Larry began his career in nursing, where his passion for improving community health outcomes inspired his transition into broader public health practice. Over the years, he has developed extensive expertise in maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH), immunization programmes, disease surveillance, and health promotion. He has played a key role in national and sub-national responses, including polio eradication, cholera response, and malaria control initiatives.
Larry has worked extensively with the Ministry of Health, WHO, and UNICEF, coordinating large-scale immunization, disease surveillance, and health promotion programmes that have significantly improved community health outcomes nationwide. He has also been actively involved in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR), Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention, and mental health advocacy. Through these engagements, he has led awareness campaigns and fostered multi-sectoral collaborations that promote psychosocial support, gender equality, and inclusive community resilience.
In addition to his technical expertise, Larry is a committed educator and mentor. He serves as a part-time Lecturer at Levy Mwanawasa Medical University and University of Edenberg, where he champions student-centred learning and equips future public health professionals with practical competencies and critical thinking skills. His teaching philosophy is rooted in constructivism, emphasizing active engagement and real-world application.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH), Postgraduate Diploma in Lecturing Methodology (PDLM), Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSc PH), Diploma in Nursing (RN), and he is currently undertaking advanced malaria leadership training with the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-mooka-62b02722a/
Public Health Association of Zambia: https://www.facebook.com/phazline/about/
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). A public health approach to community violence prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/community-violence/php/public-health-strategy/index.html
Dusto, A. (2021). Law enforcement with a public health lens. Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine. https://magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/law-enforcement-public-health-lens
Shepherd, J. P., & Sumner, S. A. (2017). Policing and Public Health-Strategies for Collaboration. JAMA, 317(15), 1525–1526. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.1854