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Zambia continues to grapple with high levels of pharmaceutical imports which account for close to 90 percent of the national requirement, resulting in an annual expenditure of approximately K5 billion from the national treasury, authorities have revealed.
Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet, Siazongo Siakalenge, said it was against this backdrop that the government had developed the pharmaceutical manufacturing strategy (2024 to 2028) which aims to place the sector on a growth trajectory.
Siakalenge highlighted this during the dialogue on advancing good manufacturing practice and related regulatory compliance to promote competitive and sustainable local pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystems in Zambia.
During the dialogue held at Sandy’s Creation in Chilanga on Thursday, Siakalenge stated that the strategy aimed to transform Zambia into a regional hub for pharmaceutical production.
He added that the COVID-19 pandemic taught the country a vital lesson and exposed the vulnerability of the health systems particularly those caused by disruption in global iqbal supply chains.
“Currently, we are also faced with reduced international support to the health sector. All these scenarios point to one undeniable conclusion,” Siakalenge said.
He emphasised the need for the country to build strong, sovereign, and sustainable pharmaceutical systems that do not collapse under the global shocks, noting that the government could not achieve this transformation alone but with close collaboration with all stakeholders.
Siakalenge noted that by developing a strong local pharmaceutical sector, Zambia would create thousands of jobs, particularly for the youth, develop specialised skills and save foreign exchange currently spent on imports.
“Government will continue to support the pharmaceutical sector by creating a conducive environment for business to flourish,” he said.
Siakalenge said that it was on this basis that the government recently passed statutory instrument No. 45 of 2025 which designated pharmaceutical products as among the prioritised items for preferential public procurement.
He also implored the manufacturing sector to seize the opportunity and supply the government with high quality, efficacious medicines at the ri9ght price and delivered on time.
Similary Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary in charge of Technical Services, Dr. Kennedy Lishimpi noted that local production of medicines was not a luxury, but a strategic imperative which spoke to the national development goals, public health priorities, and commitment to the African Union’s agenda 2063.
“Through alignment with the pharmaceutical manufacturing plan for Africa (PMPA), the African Medicines Agency (AMA), and regional mechanisms like ZAZIBONA, we are laying the groundwork for a harmonized, quality-assured, and self-sustaining pharmaceutical ecosystem,” Lishimpi said.
He placed emphasises on the need for the country to confront the persistent challenges in medicines procurement and supply chain management, noting that the public sector continued to face delays, erratic supply and inefficiencies that compromise service delivery and public trust.
Lishimpi stated that the challenges were compounded by global supply disruptions, limited local production capacity, and fragmented procurement systems.
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“Strengthening our end-to-end supply chain management and financing — from forecasting, production, procurement, warehousing to distribution, traceability and rational use mechanisms — is essential to achieving universal health coverage,” he said.
Lishimpi stressed the need to invest in training, deployment, and retention strategies to build a cadre of professionals equipped to support local manufacturing, regulation, and clinical care.
He also harped on the need to also ensure that regulators were adequately resourced to achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Level 3 based on the Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT), promote reliance mechanisms, and drive harmonization.
“Equally important is mobilizing sustainable financing and fostering partnerships with industry, academia, and development partners to accelerate technology transfer and innovation,” Lishimpi said.
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