ZAMMSA Achieves Milestone in Medicine and Medical Supplies Availability
The Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) has announced a significant achievement in the availability of essential medicines and medical supplies.
Speaking at a press conference in Lusaka on May 31, 2024, ZAMMSA Director General, Mr. Victor Nyasulu, revealed that stock availability has surpassed 73.3%, exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended standard of 70%.
“Last year, the stock availability of essential medicines and medical supplies was at 63%. I promised the nation that our target was to hit 70% by May 2024. Today, I am pleased to inform the nation that ZAMMSA is now sitting at over 73.3% availability,” Mr. Nyasulu announced.
In 2021, the availability of medicines and medical supplies in Zambia was at a mere 27%. By the first quarter of 2024, the figure had risen to 73.3%, marking a 171% growth.
Mr. Nyasulu credited this significant improvement to the increased budgetary allocation towards the drug fund by the government, prudent management of the Medical and Medical Supplies (MMS) fund, and the support from the Ministry of Health and cooperating partners.
“Alongside the increase in medicines, laboratory commodities availability has also improved from about 50% to 68%,” he added.
Mr. Nyasulu highlighted the three-pronged approach adopted by ZAMMSA last year to close the MMS availability gap. This approach included Government-to-Government (G-2-G) procurement with Egypt, collaboration with UN agencies like UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA, and a mop-up procurement exercise.
At the primary healthcare level, ZAMMSA’s strategy has ensured a sustained supply of Health Center Kits (HCKs) delivered every two months.
Mission Pharma has supplied and delivered 100% of the 42,000 kits procured, pushing stock availability at this level to over 90% nationwide. The tender for an additional 46,500 HCKs closed last week and will be evaluated next month.
For secondary and tertiary hospitals, the mop-up exercise worth K700 million has successfully delivered over 80% of the required stock.
This is in addition to a US$24 million Government-to-Government procurement with Egypt and other procurements through United Nations agencies.
“Our target is to achieve 90% stock availability by the end of 2024,” Mr. Nyasulu stated.
He also reported an increase in load volumes, from 293,000 in 2021 to 570,000 in 2023, with 180,743 loads already completed in the first quarter of 2024.
To sustain and build on this success, ZAMMSA plans to enter into agreements with selected secondary-level hospitals to serve as Procurement Agents for selected health commodities.
These hospitals include Kitwe Teaching Hospital, Ndola Teaching Hospital, and University Teaching Hospital, among others.
Mr. Nyasulu expressed gratitude to the government, the Ministry of Health, and cooperating partners for their support.
“May God bless you all as we continue to work collectively towards a healthier and productive Zambia,” he concluded.
