Building a decent public sector health system requires extensive development, adequate funding, high levels of efficiency and a deep commitment from a wide range of professionals.
A central plank of this wide-ranging programme is a recent agreement with global pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer.
The not-for-profit arrangement grants less-developed countries, including Zimbabwe, access to Pfizer’s range of patent-protected drugs and vaccines, alongside those whose patents have expired.
The initiative also includes technical support for local supply chain infrastructure, which the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) has been developing at a rapid pace.
Nothing is free under this arrangement; Zimbabwe must still pay for all medicines procured under the deal.
However, with Pfizer supplying the inventory without profit mark-ups, much of what is available will cost little more than the baseline costs of manufacture and transport. This framework will significantly stretch available public funds and help fill critical supply gaps.
Of particular benefit is the newly afforded access to medicines and vaccines still covered by patent protection. Pharmaceutical companies typically receive patent protection for approximately 20 years to recover research and development costs, which can drive up market prices for new drugs.
When patents expire, reputable manufacturers produce generic versions, causing prices to fall.
Generics must still meet rigorous testing and certification standards enforced by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe, and an increasing number are now being manufactured locally.
Because Africa remains some distance from being able to support the immense research and development costs required to create entirely new medicines for the global market, the Pfizer initiative provides an immediate lifeline.
Simply reducing the cost of medicines to more affordable levels is only the starting point.
Stock must be properly stored, monitored and released from NatPharm warehouses and cold rooms before being distributed through the supply chain to hospitals and clinics. Medicine availability has already been identified as a critical bottleneck in the ongoing upgrade of the public health system.
While significant work has been done to renovate and expand hospitals and clinics, alongside successful efforts to train and retain health professionals, drug availability in the public sector still averages just 54 percent.
Although this is a significant improvement on previous levels, it remains well below the 80 percent threshold considered internationally acceptable.
At the current 54 percent level, patients and their families are still frequently required to pay out of pocket to fill prescriptions at private pharmacies.
Innovative financing measures, including taxes on sugary beverages and fried takeaway foods, have helped fund the procurement of advanced medical equipment. However, Pfizer cannot supply everything.
Other pharmaceutical companies hold patents on vital life-saving medicines for which full development and marketing costs still apply.
Nonetheless, Pfizer has set a sustainable corporate standard that benefits developing healthcare systems without incurring losses, ensuring continued production as millions who once could not afford these medicines are brought into the consumer base.
