Ministry of Health Zambia

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INTERACTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE DISCOURSE:
Interactive group work between CBVs, youths, government policy makers at provincial sub National level, provincial education officers (MOE) and adolescent focal point officers (MOH) at the EDUCATION PLUS INITIATIVE meeting.

Zambia is one of 16 champion countries that have made a public commitment at Head of State
level to implement the initiative. In view of this, the Government of the Republic of Zambia
(GRZ) has embarked on a process of elaborating an investment case for Education Plus.

The ‘Education Plus’ Initiative is a multi-layered, holistic approach to breaking down barriers
that hinder the achievement of HIV outcomes in Adolescent Girls and Young Women, in East
and Southern Africa.

EDUCATION PLUS INITIATIVE
The ‘Education Plus’ Initiative is a multi-layered, holistic approach to breaking down barriers
that hinder the achievement of HIV outcomes in Adolescent Girls and Young Women, in East
and Southern Africa.
Zambia is one of 16 champion countries that have made a public commitment at Head of State
level to implement the initiative. In view of this, the Government of the Republic of Zambia
(GRZ) has embarked on a process of elaborating an investment case for Education Plus.

The Initiative indicates a commitment to keep girls in school as an effective measure to reduce HIV infections. Keeping girls in secondary school, is a crucial right, in and of itself, and a means to protect girls against HIV. Evidence shows that girls with higher secondary school completion rates report more than 50% reduction in new HIV
infections; aside from the broader societal benefits that staying in school provides. By its
nature, the initiative is cross-cutting and aligns with the youth, human rights, and community
support pillars. The ‘Education Plus’ Initiative was launched on 1st July 2021 at the Generation
Equality Forum in Paris. It is co-led by Ministry of Health Zambia , UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNESCO, UNICEF and UNWOMEN within the United Nations in support of Governments, Cooperating Partners and Civil Society Organizations including youth led organizations.
The findings of the investment case will provide an in-depth understanding of the holistic, multisectoral actions and scaled-up investments needed to address the underlying structural barriers and prevent HIV among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), through the lens of a
multi-layered Plus package to be added to an already successful education program, catalysed
by the free primary and secondary education policy.

Ministry of health holds 'Health Media Engagement' with the support of UNICEF.

Our media engagement strategy involves
engaging the media in a meaningful way by
sensitising them on the achievements, strides, concerns, challenges and goals of the Ministry of Health Zambia. It ensures that this level of information reaches people in the right perspective/ channels.

The purpose of the media engagement strategy
is to strengthen media's participation
and leadership in health by creating
an enabling environment.

The media engagement strategy provides an open platform for discussion
and build a common understanding of different
stakeholders on health issues
through training and capacity building
workshops, exposure visits,
dialogue platforms and media partnerships.

Health Minister hands over 125 vehicles to Health Institutions.

22/07/24
Health Minster Dr. Elijah Muchima has handed over 115 new vehicles to Health Institutions and Provincial Health Offices procured at a cost of about USD$4 Million Dollars.

The vehicles have been procured in partnership with Global Fund, and have been distributed to institutions within the Ministry of Health across the country, to support and strengthen the implementation of the decentralization policy in the health sector.

In addition to the 115 vehicles, the Dr Muchima has handed over 10 vehicles procured with support from the World Bank, to be distributed to all the 10 Provincial Health Offices, to strengthen the response to gender-based violence that remains one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the country.

Dr Muchima handed over the 125 vehicles in the company of Health Permanent Secretaries for Administration Prof. Christopher Simoonga and for Technical Services Dr Kennedy Lishimpi.

Among the institutions to benefit from the 115 vehicles is the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), which has received 66 vehicles to support the last mile distribution of medicines and medical supplies.

Speaking during the handover ceremony at the Ndeke House grounds, Dr. Muchima explained that strengthening health systems is a key focus area for the New Dawn Government under the leadership President Hakainde Hichilema.

Dr. Muchima says the vehicles will help the provincial health teams to have the reliable transportation they need to effectively manage and oversee health service delivery in their regions.

Dr. Muchima says the last mile of the supply chain, which is the final leg of delivery to the end user, is critical for ensuring that essential medicines and medical supplies reach the people who need them most, adding that patients in remote or under-served areas lack access to pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics.

Dr. Muchima has applauded the World Bank for the support towards the fight against gender based violence.

The health minister says although Zambia has made progress in recent years in combating gender based violence, there is still much work to be done as many citizens in the country, especially women and girls continue to face physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse, with devastating impacts on their health, well-being, and ability to fully participate in society.

He has further praised Global Fund for being a steadfast partner in the efforts to strengthen the health sector systems and ensuring that all citizens have access to quality healthcare services.

Dr. Muchima expounds that this year the Government, through the Ministry of Health and Global Fund signed a USD$349 Million dollar grant for the control of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria which runs from 2024 to 2026, bringing the total value of the grants received from Global Fund to USD1.8 Billion Dollars since its inception in 2003.

And Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism Oversight Committee Chairperson Annie Sampa Says the organization’s desire is to see essential health commodities reach the last mile with improved efficiency and in good time.

Ms Sampa says the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) remains a strategic country based partner in the co-mandate of mobilizing additional resources to compliment the government through the health sector and a co-responsibility of overseeing mobilized resources for the planned and budgeted for utilization.

She says CCM remains at the service of Zambian people for their continued health and overall wellbeing
- MoH

Help us welcome our new Minister of Health Hon Dr. Elijah Julaki Muchima, MP

President Hakainde Hichilema makes changes at ministerial level

- Ministry of Information and Media - Zambia

MASEBO CALLS ON COOPERATING PARTNERS TO HELP ASCERTAIN THE EFFICACY OF DRUGS AND CONDUCT FORENSIC AUDIT AT ZAMMSA

19/0724

Health Minister Sylvia Masebo has requested cooperating partners to help ascertain the efficacy of the drugs that were marooned at a private warehouse in Makeni area.

Ms Masebo says if Government decides to ascertain the efficacy of the drugs on it’s on using Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) that is mandated to verify, some people might turn around and say it is fake.

Speaking during a meeting with various cooperating partners to update them on ZAMMSA and the issue surrounding the drugs, Ms Masebo asked the partners to help Government so as to reduce unnecessary wastes of drugs because some of them came in last month.

She says this will help to address the institutions going round that the drugs have expired and should not be distributed.

Ms Masebo says there are more drugs coming in because the total is supposed to be 108 containers, and that so far only 74 have been arrived, while others should be arriving in the next three weeks.

The Minister has further called on the cooperating partners to help conduct a forensic audit at ZAMMSA .

Ms Masebo says President Hakainde Hichilema has directed that forensic audit should be done at ZAMMSA, but she has decided to ask partners to help because they are also in audit sector and may have tools on how they can conduct a proper forensic audit.

Ms Masebo has also requested partners to help in capacity building of ZAMMSA officers especially in the Supply Chain Department and the Warehouse Department that are responsible for storage and distribution to the last mile.

Hon. Masebo has further informed partners that the issue of drugs has been taken up by the police who are carrying out investigations together with the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Hon. Masebo explained that she called the police during the meeting she with ZAMMSA officials after she realised that explanation about the 61 containers of drugs was not convincing.

The Minister has assured the cooperating partners that a detailed report will be made available after the investigations are completed.

Hon. Masebo suspects that some local drug suppliers could be part of the scam through some officers at ZAMMSA.

She says the idea is to ensure that Zambia does not stabilise the drug supply chain, so that government can continuously buy locally at high prices.

Hon. Masebo suspects sabotage in the scheme to ensure that the drugs do not get distributed.

She commended the cooperating partners for the support and confidence they have shown in President Hichilema and his administration.

And the cooperating partners have commended Ms Masebo for being transparent, and have taken the call for help into consideration.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Zambia Country Representative Dr. Nathan Bakyaita says it is gratifying that the Minister called for an urgent meeting to update the cooperating partners as opposed from the media.

PRESS RELEASE
(For Immediate Release)

To: All media Outlets,

UPDATE ON THE OFFLOADING OF 61 CONTAINERS OF MEDICINES

Lusaka, 19th July 2024. Twenty Five (25) out of the Sixty One (61) containers marooned at the J&J depot in Makeni have been successfully transported and offloaded at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) central warehouse Lusaka.

The exercise which commenced on Saturday, 14th July 2024, involves the movement of containers carrying assorted health commodities from the private depot in Lusaka's Makeni area where they were being held. Following intervention by the Government through the Ministry of Health for the transporter to release the consignment.

With the progress made so far, ZAMMSA expects to complete the offloading exercise by next week Friday, 26th July 2024. The consignment is part of the government-to-government bulk procurement of Medicines and Medical Supplies at the total cost of $24 million from the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The public may wish to know that of the 61 containers, 23 containers carrying Intravenous (IV) Fluids and Syringes arrived between January and April 2024 while the remaining 38 containers carrying assorted essential medicines arrived in the country in June 2024. The earliest expiry date for all the commodities is July 2026, and no wastage has been recorded yet.

ZAMMSA wishes to assure the public that working closely with the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA), steps to ensure the safety and efficacy of all commodities have since been initiated. All products will undergo thorough quality assurance tests before distribution to health facilities to guarantee the safety of the Zambian people.

As ZAMMSA we are deeply concerned with the recent developments and we empathize with the Zambian people. And in this regard, we are committed to ensuring that we adhere to all public health supply chain management regulations. As per standard operating procedures, we will conform to the laid out guidelines as recommended by relevant authorities.

Signed:

Bradley Chingobe
Senior Manager-Corporate Communications

PRESS STATEMENT
(For Immediate Release)

To: All Media Outlets,
ZAMMSA Director General Suspended

Lusaka, 18th July 2024.

The Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) Board has, with immediate effect, suspended the Director General, Mr. Victor Nyasulu from office.

This action is in relation to the 61 containers of assorted medicines and medical supplies that were found at a private depot in Makeni area of Lusaka. The ZAMMSA board extremely regrets the occurrence of this incident.

The Board would like to assure the general populace that ZAMMSA operations and its servicing of all public health facilities will not be affected.

Signed:
Lisulo Walubita (Dr.)
Acting Board Chairperson.

Respiratory Infection

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON THE DELIVERY OF MEDICINES AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES

BY HON. SYLVIA T. MASEBO MP, MINISTER OF HEALTH

16 JULY, 2024



Madam Speaker,

I wish to thank you most sincerely for according me the opportunity to render a Ministerial Statement to this August House on the delivery of medicines and medical supplies.

Madam Speaker,

In order to stabilize the availability of medicines and medical supplies in the Public Health Supply Chain, Government through the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies (ZAMMSA) devised the following strategies namely;

· Procurement of 42,000 Health Center Kits per year.

· Bulk procurement of essential medicines

o Government-to-Government bulk procurement agreement.

o Bulk procurements through United Nations agencies such as UNICEF, UNFPA and UNDP and other multilateral agencies USIAD, CDC, Global Fund.

As far as health centre kits are concerned the procurement process was completed and Mission Pharma was identified. At the moment the commodity availability level for all primary health care facilities is over 90% and for hospitals is at 70%.

For UN agencies the deliveries are currently on going into ZAMMSA central warehouse and ZAMMSA is distributing to all facilities.

Madam Speaker,

For Government to Government procurement we had only one contract with the Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) of the Arab Republic of Egypt. This contract was signed in August 2023 and it’s a Cost Insurance and Freight(CIF) to ZAMMSA yard.

Madam Speaker,

Regarding this particular contract, the first delivery was received in October 2023 which was air freighted to ZAMMSA via Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. This particular consignment was received as per contract without any additional charges.

As part of the bulk procurement agreement, ZAMMSA received the second shipment from UPA of 16 containers in January 2024. These containers were delivered to ZAMMSA but apparently they were not offloaded and instead the transporter took them to a depot in Makeni called J&J. These 16 containers had Intravenous (IV) Fluids and Syringes. The above stated containers have been marooned at this depot till last week Friday.



Madam Speaker,

In April, 2024, ZAMMSA received the third consignment of 20 containers of assorted medical supplies out of which 13 only were offloaded at ZAMMSA and 7 were again diverted and taken to J & J. Which brings the total number of containers to 23.

The fourth consignment of 38 containers of assorted essential medicines arrived in June 2024. Again this consignment was again not delivered at ZAMMSA warehouse but this one was directly distributed to J & J depot by the transporter.

This brings the total number of containers received to 74 with only 13 containers having been offloaded at ZAMMSA from the second consignment. The remaining 61 containers were still at J &J depot until Friday the 12 July, 2024 when the Ministry of Health was made aware and intervened.



Madam Speaker,

Currently as we speak, these containers are being transported from J&J depot to ZAMMSA using the Zambia National Service trucks. This exercise is expected to finish within 10-15 days. As indicated earlier this contract was CIF Lusaka. As regards to this, he second, third and fourth consignments were transported by sea. There have been notable transportation delays in Beira, Chirundu and ZAMMSA warehouse.



Madam Speaker,

When the Ministry became fully aware of the issue, ZAMMSA was called to thoroughly review the matter. At this stage, it was clear to us that there was gross mismanagement and negligence bordering on possible criminality. The matter was then reported to the law enforcement agencies.





Madam Speaker, I thank you