Source: NatPharm gears for local production of pharmaceuticals – herald
Sunday Mail Reporter
THE Government plans to capacitate the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) to begin producing medicines locally to ensure the health sector’s sovereignty and guarantee steady supplies of essential drugs to the public health system.
The development marks a major shift from NatPharm’s current role as a procurement and distribution agent to a manufacturer of pharmaceutical products, with the transition being seen as central to building a resilient and self-sufficient health sector.
The authorities are also planning to establish a pharmaceutical revolving fund — to be capitalised through proceeds from the sugar tax and the Industrial Development Fund — to finance expansion of the domestic pharmaceutical industry.
These interventions are contained in the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), the economic blueprint expected to guide the country to Vision 2030.
According to the NDS2, the interventions will be directed towards “strengthening local pharmaceutical manufacturing to enhance national health security, reduce import dependency and promote self-sufficiency in essential medicines and medical supplies”.
“Implementation will be guided by the National Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Strategy, which aims to build a competitive and sustainable pharmaceutical industry anchored on quality, innovation and resilience,” reads the document.
“The strategy will focus on increasing the share of locally produced medicines from less than 30 percent in 2024 to at least 60 percent by 2030 through investment in modern production facilities, adoption of good manufacturing practices and promotion of research and development in drug formulation and biotechnology.”
NatPharm will also be strengthened to serve as a “strategic procurement and distribution hub”, while being capacitated “to venture into production of pharmaceutical products during NDS 2”.
“Government will also prioritise the local production of medical consumables and supplies such as gloves, syringes, reagents and personal protective equipment (PPEs) through support to micro, small and medium-scale enterprises integrated into national value chains,” adds the blueprint.
“The National Pharmaceutical Company will be strengthened to serve as a strategic procurement and distribution hub, ensuring reliable supply chains for locally produced medicines and promoting efficient stock management across public health institutions.
“In addition, NatPharm will be capacitated to venture into production of pharmaceutical products during NDS 2.”
To create guaranteed market demand for local producers, NatPharm will be mandated to source at least 30 percent of its essential medicines from domestic manufacturers, focusing initially on 49 priority products from the national Essential Medicines List.
This policy is designed to absorb existing industrial capacity and incentivise new investment.
“Government will establish a dedicated Pharmaceutical Revolving Fund, capitalised by a portion of the sugar tax and the Industrial Development Fund, to directly finance the expansion and modernisation of a domestic pharmaceutical sector.
“Furthermore, to lower production costs and enhance competitiveness, targeted incentives will be introduced.
“Government will also promote investment in digital health supply systems and cold-chain infrastructure to support the distribution of temperature-sensitive medicines, vaccines and medical products nationwide.”
Zimbabwe currently imports the majority of its essential drugs, a situation that has exposed the health system to global supply disruptions and foreign currency shortages.
Officials say the new strategy, coupled with regional harmonisation under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), is expected to open export opportunities for Zimbabwean-made pharmaceuticals.
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