Zambart

What Zambart does

Zambart is a Lusaka-headquartered non-profit research organization conducting multi-disciplinary health research with a primary focus on tuberculosis, HIV, and related infectious diseases in Zambia and sub-Saharan Africa. The organization originated in 1999 as a collaboration between the University of Zambia's School of Medicine and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and maintains close institutional ties to LSHTM through senior faculty placement (Prof. Helen Ayles as Director of Research, Prof. Virginia Bond as Trustee) and joint research leadership. It employs 151 staff and operates seven research service lines: clinical research, social science research, epidemiology and population studies, laboratory services, health economics, data and statistics, and regulatory services. The technical platform combines epidemiological methods, social science including community-based participatory ethnographic research (CBPER), laboratory diagnostics (TB culture, HIV/COVID-19 PCR), statistics, and health economics analysis into an integrated research delivery capability.

The organization generates no commercial revenue. Its operating model is event-driven grant acquisition: Zambart competes for research funding from international health donors and government agencies, then executes multi-year studies in consortium with academic and government partners. Active funders include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, EDCTP (EUR 12.9M for TREATS), NIH/NIAID (HPTN 071 PopART), UNITAID (STAR), Wellcome Trust, UK NIHR, FIND, and Stop TB Partnership. The active study portfolio includes landmark trials such as HPTN 071 PopART spanning 12 Zambian and 9 South African communities, the GSK M72/AS01E TB vaccine Phase IIb trial, AMPHEUS genomics-based HIV testing, ASTRA climate resilience across three countries, GLOBE-HPV, TB-HEART, and XACT-III portable molecular diagnostics. Geographic reach has expanded from Zambia to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and Cambodia through consortium partnerships. Government health systems integration, trained Community HIV care Providers (414 personnel in PopART alone), and Community Advisory Boards form the operational backbone for community-based implementation research.

Name

Zambart

Legal name

Zambart

Website

https://zambart.org.zm

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Zambart is a non-profit Zambian research organization, founded in 1999 by the University of Zambia and LSHTM, conducting multi-disciplinary clinical and implementation research on tuberculosis, HIV, and related diseases, funded by international grants and serving global health funders, governments, and academic institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Research Services

NAICS

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR) (HLAGADAF), Clinical Trial Sample Collection & Site Phlebotomy Services (HLAGACAJ), Site Identification & Feasibility (HLAGACAB)

Keywords

• Public health research services
• Clinical trials management
• Tuberculosis HIV research
• Epidemiology and population studies
• Implementation science research

Headquarters

HQ city

Lusaka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant-Funded Research: Primary revenue is derived from competitive research grants and contracts from international health research funders including government agencies, foundations, and multilateral organizations. Research projects are funded for specific durations with defined scopes and deliverables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zambart is a non-profit research organization that designs and conducts multi-disciplinary clinical, epidemiological, social science, laboratory, and health economics research focused on tuberculosis, HIV, and related public health challenges in Zambia and sub-Saharan Africa. Its offerings span large-scale clinical trials (e.g., HPTN 071 PopART, TREATS, TB vaccine trials), implementation science studies, community-based participatory research, and research support services including laboratory diagnostics, biostatistics, regulatory compliance, and health economics analysis.

Product overview

Zambart is a Zambian research organization that grew out of a collaboration between the University of Zambia's School of Medicine and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The organization conducts multidisciplinary health research primarily focused on tuberculosis, HIV, and related infectious diseases. Zambart offers a portfolio of research services including clinical research, social science research, epidemiology and population studies, laboratory services, health economics, data and statistics, and regulatory services. The organization implements numerous research studies spanning TB diagnosis and treatment, HIV prevention and care, stigma interventions, climate change resilience, ear and hearing health, and sexual and reproductive health. The portfolio includes both current active studies (such as ASTRA, GLOBE-HPV, AMPHEUS, XACT trials, and TB-HEART) and completed landmark studies (including ZAMSTAR, TREATS, PopART, STAR, and BHOMA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Research Services Multi-disciplinary clinical research studies focused on tuberculosis, HIV, and other infectious diseases conducted across multiple sites in Zambia and sub-Saharan Africa, including vaccine trials, active case-finding, and intervention studies.
• Social Science Research Services Social science research addressing health-related stigma, community-based interventions, and behavioural factors in TB and HIV outcomes.
• Epidemiology and Population Studies Population-level epidemiological studies examining disease burden, transmission dynamics, and health outcomes.
• Laboratory Services Diagnostic and research laboratory services including TB culture processing, HIV and COVID-19 diagnostic testing, and PCR techniques.
• Health Economics Unit Health economics research focusing on efficiency, market analysis, economic evaluation, health financing, costing, and policy analysis to inform health resource allocation.
• Data and Statistics Services Statistical analysis, data management, and research methodology support for clinical and epidemiological studies.
• Regulatory Services Regulatory compliance and ethics oversight for clinical trials and research studies.
• XACT-III Study Randomized controlled trial evaluating scalable active case-finding intervention for TB using portable battery-powered molecular diagnostic platform (Xpert).
• XACT-19 Study Evaluating computer-assisted X-ray diagnosis and triage tools to optimize Xpert-oriented community-based active case finding for TB and COVID-19.
• TB Vaccine Trial (M72/AS01E) Phase IIb trial evaluating GSK's M72/AS01E TB vaccine candidate for efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity.
• TB-HEART Study Cross-sectional and natural history study examining cardiac pathology burden among newly diagnosed PTB patients with and without HIV.
• AMPHEUS Study Novel rapid HIV viral load testing and whole genome sequencing platform for clinical decision-making at health facility level.
• GLOBE-HPV Study Global study to estimate HPV prevalence, incidence of persistent HPV 16/18 infection, and burden among girls and women aged 9-50.
• Total Facility Approach (TFA) Evidence-based HIV stigma and discrimination intervention for health facilities, expanding to include nursing schools and continuing medical education.
• ASTRA Study Adaptations To Strengthen Healthcare Delivery and Resilience to Extreme Weather Events in Southern Africa, focusing on health system resilience for populations with HIV and/or tuberculosis.
• Metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing for FGS Development of a multiplex whole genome sequencing platform for female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) and STI pathogen detection, drug resistance surveillance, and vaginal microbiome analysis.
• Community-based Ear and Hearing Care Research evaluating ear disease and hearing loss interventions in low and middle-income countries, including treatments for chronic suppurative otitis media and low-cost bone conduction headsets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced TB prevalence by 18% and tuberculous infection incidence by 55% through household-level intervention
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding institutional partner from which Zambart originated as a collaboration project. LSHTM provides senior faculty placement (including Prof. Helen Ayles and Prof. Virginia Bond), academic oversight, PhD supervision, and joint research leadership on major trials including HPTN 071 PopART.
• Zambia Ministry of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner for all research activities. Ministry provides policy guidance, health facility access, and coordinates research integration with national health programs including National TB Programme and HIV/AIDS response.
• Imperial College LondonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research partner in HPTN 071 PopART trial and other major studies, contributing mathematical modeling and economic analysis expertise.
• Macha Research TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal research partner for Expanded Total Facility Approach study in Southern Province, collaborating on HIV stigma reduction intervention implementation.
• Desmond Tutu TB Centre (DTTC) at Stellenbosch UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in HPTN 071 PopART study providing South African research site leadership alongside Zambart's Zambian operations.
• KNCV Tuberculosis FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in TREATS project providing technical expertise in TB programming and health systems.
• University of Southern CaliforniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in Total School Approach study addressing HIV stigma and safeguarding in Zambian boarding schools, funded by NIH.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM): LSTM is a UK-based academic institution with extensive international health research operations in Africa, including partnerships on STAR and PopART with Zambart. It has comparable disease focus, donor relationships, and clinical trial site management capabilities.
• Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ): CIDRZ is a Zambian non-profit research organization focused on HIV, TB, and other infectious diseases, also originating from University of Zambia collaborations. It is the most direct peer — same geography, same disease focus, same donor ecosystem, and competes for overlapping NIH, EDCTP, and Gates funding with similar implementation science capabilities.
• Aurum Institute: Aurum Institute is a South African non-profit health research organization focused on TB, HIV, and related disease research with implementation science and clinical trial capabilities. It is a direct competitor for sub-Saharan African TB/HIV trials and shares donor relationships with EDCTP, Gates, and NIH.
• KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation: KNCV is a Dutch-based TB-focused non-profit operating implementation and research programmes across multiple African countries. It is already a TREATS consortium partner with Zambart and competes for similar TB-focused donor funding (Stop TB Partnership, USAID, EDCTP).
• Wits Health Consortium / Wits RHI: Wits RHI is a leading African clinical research organization based at the University of the Witwatersrand, conducting HIV, TB, and reproductive health trials across multiple African countries. It is a direct peer competing for the same multi-country consortium grants and donor funding in southern Africa.
• Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) - Makerere University: IDI is a Ugandan non-profit research and training organization affiliated with Makerere University, focused on HIV, TB, and emerging infections. It is a direct peer running similar clinical trial site operations, laboratory diagnostics, and implementation science in an East African LMIC context.

Broad incumbents

• FHI 360: FHI 360 is a large global development and research organization with broader scope but overlapping capabilities in HIV prevention, TB, and clinical trials in LMICs. It competes with Zambart for major NIH, USAID, and Gates-funded programmes but operates at significantly larger scale with global infrastructure.
• RTI International: RTI International is a large US-based non-profit research institute with substantial global health programming, including infectious disease and implementation science work in LMICs. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping research service capabilities but much wider scope.
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM): LSHTM is Zambart's founding institutional partner and a globally leading public health research institution. It is the upstream academic collaborator and provides senior faculty to Zambart; comparable in discipline (epidemiology, clinical trials, social science) but far larger and globally distributed.

Emerging players

• IAVI (International AIDS Vaccine Initiative): IAVI is a non-profit focused on HIV vaccine and antibody research with clinical trial site networks in Africa and India. It is an emerging player in adjacent HIV prevention research, particularly relevant given Zambart's GSK M72/AS01E TB vaccine trial involvement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zambart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Zambart