Biography
Dr Charles Masili Banda is a Lecturer in the Department of Economics, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, at the University of Zambia. He holds a PhD in Economics from SOAS University of London, United Kingdom, where the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission funded his doctoral studies. He also holds MA and BA degrees in Economics from the University of Zambia, with his Master’s studies sponsored by the Bank of Zambia.
Dr Banda has over 15 years of experience in academia, research and policy analysis. Before joining the University of Zambia as a Lecturer in 2013, he worked as an Economist in the Research and Planning Unit at the National Food and Nutrition Commission, where he contributed to research activities and implementation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework.
Dr Banda has collaborated on research and consultancy assignments for national and international organisations, including UNICEF, the World Bank, UNFPA, Gavi, European Union, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, John Snow Inc., IDRC, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the University of Washington, UK-DFID, LSHTM and UNU-WIDER, among others. His work has covered social protection financing, health financing, demographic change, public expenditure, programme costing, household surveys, labour markets and universal health coverage.
He has also contributed to Government technical working groups and policy processes in Zambia, including work on poverty and inequality, national accounts, health care financing, and public finance. His research combines quantitative analysis, mixed methods and policy engagement, with a strong interest in producing evidence to inform practical economic and social policy decisions.
- Coe, M., Kawakyu, N., Gimbel, S., Nyakuya, B., Gabriel, N., Leonard, D., ... & Kohler, P. (2023). Nursing workforce optimization study: A multi-method evaluation and process improvement intervention for HIV service delivery in Tanzania and Zambia. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 34(2), 146-157.
- Masiye, F., Kaonga, O., & Banda, C. M. (2020). Informal payments for primary health services in Zambia: evidence from a health facility patient exit survey. Health Policy OPEN, 1, 100020.
- Simuchimba, B., Banda, C. M., & Masiye, F. (2020). Technical Efficiency and Capacity Utilization of Manufacturing Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Zambia. WP/2020/4.
- Kaonga, O., Banda, C., & Masiye, F. (2019). Hardship financing of out-of-pocket payments in the context of free healthcare in Zambia. PloS one, 14(4), e0214750.
- Simuchimba, B., Chansa, F., Banda, C., Simuchimba, W., & Beyene, L. M. (2020). Can a Wage Subsidy Be Used to Improve Women's Formal Employment in Zambia. Partnership for Economic Policy Working Paper, (2020-14).
- Kampamba, R., Pellerano, L., Banda, C., & Musama, O. (2019). Financing the Zambia social cash transfer scale-up: a tax benefit microsimulation analysis based on microzamod (No. 2019/19). WIDER Working Paper.
Health Economics and Health Financing
Labour Economics and Labour Markets
Social Protection and Social Assistance Financing
Development Economics
Poverty, Inequality and Household Welfare
Nutrition Economics
Public Expenditure Analysis and Programme Costing
Universal Health Coverage and Health Systems
Applied Econometrics and Household Survey Analysis
Applied Policy Analysis and Mixed-Methods Research
Dr. Banda has collaborated with international development partners engaged in research and consultancy projects funded by organizations including the World Bank, European Union, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, John Snow Inc., IDRC, UNFPA, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, University of Washington, and UK-DFID.