Online Reporter
Senior Health Reporter
THE distribution of drugs to public health facilities in emergencies by the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) will now be completed within 72 hours, while authorities are deploying digital technology to track and streamline deliveries.
The move is expected to cut delays, reduce leakages and ensure patients across the country consistently access essential medicines.
By digitising procurement and distribution systems, the Government aims to monitor orders in real-time, reduce human error and hold officials accountable for stock movements.
Health officials say the reforms will help prevent shortages, curb pilferage and guarantee that health facilities, particularly those in remote areas, receive drugs on time.
This represents a major step in Zimbabwe’s push to build a reliable, transparent and resilient medicines supply chain.
Speaking at the Health Products Supply Chain Management Dialogue in Harare this week, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Aspect Maunganidze said Government was determined to strengthen drug delivery systems, boost local production and adopt new financing models to reduce reliance on Treasury and donors.
“We want to face these challenges head-on by focusing on financing of the supply chain and strengthening NatPharm as our main procurer and distributor,” he said.
“We are also strategising on integrating digital health to improve tracking of medicines, reduce pilferage and ensure accountability.
“More importantly, we are exploring sustainable models, given donor fatigue and recent funding withdrawals.”
NatPharm, Dr Maunganidze said, continues to face budget shortfalls, delayed disbursements and logistical difficulties in reaching rural health centres.
“It is not enough just to allocate a budget. The money has to be disbursed on time. When disbursements are delayed, hospitals continue to require drugs, and NatPharm accrues debt to suppliers. That reduces confidence among suppliers and it puts the entire system under strain,” he said.
He added that the Government was also working to modernise procurement systems to match global trends.
“We are the biggest procurer in Government, with 113 entities under the Ministry of Health. Some of our rural areas still face connectivity challenges, which delays their ability to procure on time. By improving digital systems and other electronic platforms, we can close those gaps and ensure efficiency.”
Access to medicines, he said, was central to the Government’s commitment to universal health coverage.
“We want every Zimbabwean, wherever they are, to walk out of a health institution with the drugs they need. That is what Zimbabweans have always known and expected from their health system. This is the challenge we are working hard to overcome.”
NatPharm managing director Mr Newman Madzikwa said the organisation was scaling up distribution efficiency.
“We are pushing to make sure that we leave no place and no person behind. When an order comes, we try to make sure that it’s delivered within 72 hours if it is urgent. For routine orders, we still prioritise timely delivery. We are no longer rationing because we have significant stocks, so we give facilities according to their needs,” he said.
NatPharm supplies medicines to about 1 700 health facilities nationwide.
Ideally, it requires 7 496 product lines to meet national demand, but currently only holds 1 241 (16,6 percent).
Of these, just 403 product lines have sufficient stocks for four to eight months.
To improve self-reliance, NatPharm has signed agreements with local manufacturers to produce 49 medicines locally and is negotiating technology transfer partnerships with “friendly countries”.
Mr Madzikwa added that smart financing models are being explored to allow facilities to reimburse NatPharm directly, easing the burden on Central Government.
“We are also looking at smart financing mechanisms to reduce the burden on Treasury. Central Government has many demands, so we are exploring affordable partnerships to procure on behalf of facilities, which then reimburse us.”
Currently, 80 percent of NatPharm’s stock is donor-funded, a situation stakeholders warned was unsustainable.
A member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, Mr Thomas Muwodzeri, said lawmakers would push for improved budget support and timely disbursements.
“NatPharm has explained that this is partly due to underfunding, transport challenges and poor remuneration for staff. As parliamentarians, we now have a duty to ensure that when we budget for health, those funds are actually disbursed on time. Without health, there is no business or economy. So, we should try to have our own roadmap on how we are going to resource our health, NatPharm and our hospitals,” he said.
The dialogue brought together Government, Parliament, NatPharm, provincial medical directors and development partners to shape strategies for financing and strengthening the supply chain.
