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Following huge indictments heaped on the Zambian government by the United States over persistent incidents of medicine pilferage, the country’s Health Minister, Elijah Muchima, has defended the administration’s efforts to combat the theft of medical drugs.
In a statement issued Thursday, Muchima reaffirmed government’s commitment to tackling the problem and praised the U.S. for its ongoing support in improving Zambia’s healthcare delivery, especially in areas such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.
“The theft of medicines undermines public health, deprives patients of vital treatment, and erodes trust in our healthcare system,” he said. “This is a long-standing issue rooted in systemic weaknesses that predate the current administration,” he added.
He said government had since taken significant remedial steps to improve oversight and protect the medical supply chain.
Muchima revealed that President Hakainde Hichilema had ordered an independent forensic audit of the entire medicines supply chain, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers under the supervision of the Auditor General’s Office.
The interim report was shared with stakeholders, including cooperating partners, at State House, he claimed.
As a result of preliminary findings, he said several senior officials at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) were suspended or dismissed, including Director General, Victor Nyasulu, Director of Supply Planning, Nalishebo Siyandi, Director of Procurement Nchimunya Habadu, and Director of Finance Milimo Ngululu.
“Except for the Director of Finance, the rest are now appearing before the courts of law,” he said, adding that the final audit report has been cleared by the Auditor General for further action.
Muchima emphasized that there would be no sacred cows in the matter, but insisted that all accused individuals were presumed innocent until proven guilty by competent courts.
He urged the U.S. Ambassador to share any additional evidence that may aid ongoing investigations or prosecutions.
The minister also disclosed that the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) had ramped up operations, leading to more arrests and prosecutions related to drug theft.
To improve accountability, he said the government has formed a Joint National Drug Taskforce for real-time monitoring and early detection of theft across the medical supply chain.
ZAMMSA has also rolled out a digital inventory tracking system to improve transparency and prevent pilferage, the minster noted.
Looking ahead, Muchima said the Ministry of Health, ZAMMSA, and other stakeholders will convene next week on the Copperbelt for a planning meeting to assess the country’s medical needs for 2026.
The session aims to enhance resource allocation, secure the supply chain, and ensure consistent availability of essential medicines.
He assured the public that Zambia currently had adequate stocks of critical medicines, including antiretrovirals and antimalarials, and that national availability for primary healthcare drugs had risen from under 35 percent to over 75 percent.
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