Source: Govt activates emergency measures to protect medicine supply chain – herald
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Emergency contingency measures have been activated to protect Zimbabwe’s medical supply chain from disruptions triggered by the escalating Middle East war, which is delaying shipments of essential health products and driving up procurement costs.
The conflict has disrupted key global air freight routes, forcing shipments to be rerouted and triggering risk surcharges and higher insurance premiums.
These developments are now affecting delivery timelines and the cost of critical medicines.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care says it is working “around the clock” to manage the situation and prevent potential shortages.
In an interview, the Health Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr Wenceslas Nyamayaro, said authorities are closely monitoring supply pipelines and implementing targeted interventions to safeguard availability.
“The situation is fluid and we are closely monitoring the pipeline and making relevant interventions accordingly,” he said.
He added that the Government is also focusing on managing available stocks within the country to ensure equitable distribution across health facilities.
“We will consider in-country interventions to manage available stocks at health facilities as well as at the central warehouse, NatPharm. This will go a long way in ensuring equity of supply and avoiding stock-outs,” he said.
Dr Nyamayaro noted that Zimbabwe’s inventory control system, which maintains buffer stocks of essential medicines, is providing a critical cushion against disruptions.
“The in-country inventory control system ensures that the nation holds buffer stocks to mitigate supply risks arising from situations such as this conflict,” he said.
He, however, acknowledged that the impact is uneven across product lines.
“Certainly, some products have been greatly impacted by this crisis, whereas some are still sufficiently stocked depending on the extent to which we have consumed into the buffer,” he said.
Zimbabwe relies heavily on imported medicines, with a significant proportion sourced from China and India—supply routes that are now experiencing increased costs due to global logistics disruptions.
Dr Nyamayaro said the impact is particularly pronounced on air freight shipments.
“I am sure you have seen the impact on fuel, and health products have not been spared as well,” he said. “This has affected shipments coming via air freight to a larger extent.
“This has been reflected in revised expected times of arrival, the introduction of risk surcharges and increased freight insurance premiums, all of which have pushed up shipping costs.”
To mitigate delays, Government is exploring alternative shipping routes for affected consignments.
“The Ministry, in collaboration with procurement agents/entities, is working around the clock to manage this emerging issue. We have undertaken a rapid assessment to identify risks to scheduled shipments,” he said.
“We have done a rapid assessment to identify any potential risks regarding the timeliness of these expected shipments.
“Not all scheduled shipments have been affected at the moment.
“However, for the affected shipments, alternative routes are being explored to expedite deliveries.”
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