Online Reporter
Robin Muchetu
ZIMBABWE’S pharmaceutical manufacturing sector is poised to play a pivotal role in strengthening the country’s health system and revitalising Bulawayo’s industrial base if given adequate support and investment, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.
Speaking during a tour of Zimbabwe Pharmaceuticals (ZimPharm) in the Belmont industrial area in Bulawayo yesterday, VP Mohadi called for increased backing of the local pharmaceutical industry as part of the Government’s broader economic recovery and healthcare resilience agenda.
“We would like such firms like ZimPharm to grow so that it can provide adequate medicines and pharmaceuticals to our health sector. We are importing quite a lot of pharmaceuticals from other countries because we do not have the requisite numbers to produce locally,” he said.
“My encouragement is that we need to grow them and support them so that they produce enough for the health sector locally.”
VP Mohadi’s remarks align with the Second Republic’s goal of transforming Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy by 2030 in line with the mantra “leaving no one and no place behind.”
The Vice President applauded ZimPharm for remaining operational under difficult economic conditions, including limited space, outdated machinery and foreign currency shortages.
Currently, Zimbabwe imports up to 70 percent of its pharmaceutical products, mostly from India, China, and South Africa. This heavy reliance on imports makes the country vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions, foreign currency shortages and inflated drug prices.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, revitalising domestic drug production is a key component of Zimbabwe’s National Health Strategy (2021–2025), which promotes pharmaceutical self-sufficiency and the use of locally manufactured essential medicines.
“They are doing a commendable job. But we need to support them more, especially in accessing raw materials and modern machinery, because the medicines they produce are critical for our population’s health,” said VP Mohadi.
The Vice President said reviving Bulawayo’s industrial capacity, particularly in key sectors like pharmaceuticals, textiles and manufacturing, was essential for national economic revival. He noted that Bulawayo used to be the heartbeat of our industry. “Smoke used to rise from these factories. KoNtuthu ziyathunqa. That’s no longer the case, but we’re working on bringing that back through re-industrialisation,” said VP Mohadi.
