Assessing the Effectiveness of the Butuntulwanyaunda Community Health Program on Access to Primary Healthcare in Kyawama Area: A Case Study of Kansanshi Mine’s Health CSR Initiative

This research interrogates the efficacy of corporate-led health interventions by conducting a case study assessment of the Butuntulwanyaunda Community Health Program, Kansanshi Mine's health CSR initiative in the Kyawama area of Zambia. Guided by the Andersen Behavioural Model of Health Services Use, the study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design to evaluate the program's impact on three core dimensions: the availability of essential services, the frequency of healthcare utilization, and the reduction of access barriers. Data collected via structured questionnaires from 50 randomly sampled adult beneficiaries revealed that the program has substantially improved proximate access, with 74% of residents living within 3 km of a facility, and consistent medicine availability, acknowledged by 76% of respondents. This correlated with a self-reported increase in healthcare utilization by 76% of participants. However, the study uncovered persistent systemic vulnerabilities: a critical human resource gap, with 42% noting no improvement in staff availability, and enduring financial (52%) and transportation (38%) barriers that disproportionately excluded older demographics. The study concludes that while the CSR initiative functions as an effective palliative measure that enhances proximate access and service availability, its design inadequately addresses deeper, systemic inequities related to workforce sustainability and financial protection. Therefore, for CSR to contribute meaningfully to Universal Health Coverage in mining communities, it must evolve beyond infrastructure provision towards integrated, equity-focused models that strengthen public health system fundamentals.