NatPharm boosts medicines availability

The National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) announced it expects to receive close to 400 different lines of medicines and health consumables over the next three months as part of its efforts to improve the availability of essential drugs across Zimbabwe's public health facilities. Currently, medicine availability hovers between 49 and 52 percent, but the organisation aims to raise this to between 60 and 80 percent in the near future.

NatPharm, which is responsible for procuring, storing, and distributing medicines and medical supplies to approximately 1,700 public health institutions nationwide, faces significant challenges in meeting demand. The organisation operates six warehouses located in Harare, Bulawayo, Chinhoyi, Gweru, Masvingo, and Mutare. To fully meet nationwide demand, NatPharm ideally needs to stock around 7,496 product lines.

Speaking in an interview, NatPharm managing director Newman Madzikwa said the anticipated deliveries would mark a major improvement in drug availability across the country. "We have quite a number of lines that we are expecting. In the next three months, we will be receiving close to 400 different lines of health commodities to ensure that our facilities get products that they need at any given time," he said. "So we are looking at supplies being availed to health facilities to the extent that they will meet almost 60 to 80 percent of their needs. Currently we have around 49 to 52 percent of their needs being met."

Among the medicines already secured, NatPharm has sufficient antiretroviral (ARV) stock to cover national needs through to the end of the year. The company uses a targeted delivery model to supply central and provincial hospitals on demand, while clinics receive quarterly deliveries covering up to four or five months' supply. This approach helps manage medicine expiry dates, typically around 18 months, and avoids unnecessary warehousing costs.

On June 16, President Emmerson Mnangagwa visited Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Sally Mugabe Hospital, witnessing firsthand the acute shortages of essential drugs and the dilapidated infrastructure facing these key public health institutions. The president also toured NatPharm, where he observed a paradox of drug stocks piled up in warehouses while public hospitals faced shortages.

In addition to expanding procurement and distribution, NatPharm is advancing Zimbabwe's local pharmaceutical manufacturing strategy through technology transfer partnerships with countries such as Iran, India, Indonesia, and China. These collaborations aim to produce essential medicines locally, reducing dependence on imports and enhancing self-reliance.

"We have several memorandums of understanding signed with countries such as Iran, Indonesia, China, and others. We have identified 49 molecules that we are prioritising and have agreements with local manufacturers to ensure our needs are supplied locally," Mr Madzikwa said. Local companies currently produce oral solid dose medicines, but plans are underway to introduce injectable medicines, including morphine and other critical theatre drugs.

Five products from Iran have been identified for local production, beginning with procurement and market testing before full-scale technology transfer. These efforts form part of the National Pharmaceutical Strategy, which seeks to increase the contribution of local manufacturers from the current 10 percent market share to over 30 percent within the next 18 months.

"This strategy signals a shift towards a more resilient health sector, with improved access to life-saving drugs and stronger pharmaceutical capacity," Mr Madzikwa added. The expanded local production and improved supply chain management are expected to better prepare Zimbabwe for future health emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic.

NatPharm's planned medicine deliveries and ongoing partnerships represent a significant step forward in addressing Zimbabwe's healthcare challenges and ensuring essential medicines reach those who need them most.