YESTERDAY, Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) directorgeneral Victor Nyasulu announced that the organisation had reached 70 percent stock availability in all the public health facilities in Zambia, meeting World Health Organisation’s requirement for medical stock availability and ending a years-long drugs shortage.
As early as 2015, the drug shortage crisis had begun to unfold.
A few health care facilities had already begun to record shortages of essential drugs. Patients were being asked to buy their own medicines from private drug stores for such common ailments as malaria.
By 2020, the shortage of drugs in public health facilities had become widespread across the country.
An unexplained and controversial government shift in the procurement of health centre kits exacerbated the shortages. The switch from a longstanding supplier to a little known outfit that ended up supplying lowgrade medicines and medical supplies turned health facilities into mere issuers of prescription forms. And the switch bore the hallmarks of corruption.
By 2021, the shortage of drugs in our facilities had become a fully-fledged national crisis. And this is a problem that the New Dawn government inherited upon assuming office in 2021.
As Mr Nyasulu recalled that “as at August 2021 when there was a change of Government, the situation which was inherited was such that even Panadol was a problem”.
It is, therefore, gratifying that under three years of being in office, Government, through ZAMMSA, has recorded 70 percent of medical stock availability in government facilities in line with World Health Organisation’s requirement.
This is a commendable feat that deserves recognition and praise.
This achievement is not a product of happenstance. It is a result of dedication and hard work.
Government had to put deliberate measures in place to ensure the shortage of drugs and other medical supplies is reversed.
As Mr Nyasulu pointed out, the New Dawn administration made ZAMMSA sign a deal with Unified Procurement Authority (UPA), of Egypt, and “we are now at a place where we are relatively comfortable and we have no problem in terms of the primary healthcare system”.Ensuring the availability of essential medications in hospitals and other medical facilities across the country is a demonstration of Government’s commitment to the health and welfare of the Zambian people.
Reaching a 70 percent availability rate is indeed a significant milestone especially considering the challenges that the healthcare system in Zambia has faced, including limited resources and past inefficiencies in the procurement and distribution of medicines.
It is, thus, heart-warming that the ZAMMSA chief executive officer is not content with attaining 70 per cent availability of medicines saying the institution is targeting 80 percent medical stock availability in all the public health facilities in the country.
As he said, “people should expect the situation to only get better and better”.
It is indeed note-worthy that some health facilities in primary healthcare are already reporting 85 percent stock availability.
It is important to acknowledge the efforts of all those involved in this endeavour, from the dedicated staff of Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency – who have worked tirelessly to ensure that medicines are available when and where they are needed – to the policy-makers, who have worked to improve the efficiency of the medicine supply chain.
Moving forward, it is crucial to ensure that measures and safeguards to sustain this momentum and build on this success to further improve drug availability and continue to enhance the overall healthcare system in Zambia are put in place to ensure the continued good health of the people of Zambia.
Well done ZAMMSA on ensuring 70% drug availability
YESTERDAY, Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) directorgeneral Victor Nyasulu announced that the organisation had reached 70 percent stock availability in all the public health facilities in Zambia, meeting World Health Organisation’s requirement for medical stock availability and ending a years-long drugs shortage.
As early as 2015, the drug shortage crisis had begun to unfold.
A few health care facilities had already begun to record shortages of essential drugs. Patients were being asked to buy their own medicines from private drug stores for such common ailments as malaria.
By 2020, the shortage of drugs in public health facilities had become widespread across the country.
An unexplained and controversial government shift in the procurement of health centre kits exacerbated the shortages. The switch from a longstanding supplier to a little known outfit that ended up supplying lowgrade medicines and medical supplies turned health facilities into mere issuers of prescription forms. And the switch bore the hallmarks of corruption.
By 2021, the shortage of drugs in our facilities had become a fully-fledged national crisis. And this is a problem that the New Dawn government inherited upon assuming office in 2021.
As Mr Nyasulu recalled that “as at August 2021 when there was a change of Government, the situation which was inherited was such that even Panadol was a problem”.
It is, therefore, gratifying that under three years of being in office, Government, through ZAMMSA, has recorded 70 percent of medical stock availability in government facilities in line with World Health Organisation’s requirement.
This is a commendable feat that deserves recognition and praise.
This achievement is not a product of happenstance. It is a result of dedication and hard work.
Government had to put deliberate measures in place to ensure the shortage of drugs and other medical supplies is reversed.
As Mr Nyasulu pointed out, the New Dawn administration made ZAMMSA sign a deal with Unified Procurement Authority (UPA), of Egypt, and “we are now at a place where we are relatively comfortable and we have no problem in terms of the primary healthcare system”.Ensuring the availability of essential medications in hospitals and other medical facilities across the country is a demonstration of Government’s commitment to the health and welfare of the Zambian people.
Reaching a 70 percent availability rate is indeed a significant milestone especially considering the challenges that the healthcare system in Zambia has faced, including limited resources and past inefficiencies in the procurement and distribution of medicines.
It is, thus, heart-warming that the ZAMMSA chief executive officer is not content with attaining 70 per cent availability of medicines saying the institution is targeting 80 percent medical stock availability in all the public health facilities in the country.
As he said, “people should expect the situation to only get better and better”.
It is indeed note-worthy that some health facilities in primary healthcare are already reporting 85 percent stock availability.
It is important to acknowledge the efforts of all those involved in this endeavour, from the dedicated staff of Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency – who have worked tirelessly to ensure that medicines are available when and where they are needed – to the policy-makers, who have worked to improve the efficiency of the medicine supply chain.
Moving forward, it is crucial to ensure that measures and safeguards to sustain this momentum and build on this success to further improve drug availability and continue to enhance the overall healthcare system in Zambia are put in place to ensure the continued good health of the people of Zambia.