President Hakainde Hichilema says his administration will not accept the supply of expired drugs to health facilities.
President Hichilema said drugs are not being managed properly as supplies meant for public hospitals end up in private facilities.
The Head of State said this when he met a team from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -Africa CDC- who paid a courtesy call on him at state house in Lusaka today.
President Hichilema said Zambia would like to be part of the manufacturing locations for vaccines in Africa and that the country’s geographical location gives it an added advantage.
He told the delegation that they have the support of his administration in ensuring that there is market sharing for vaccines and drugs produced in Africa.
President Hichilema also called for real unity on the African continent through the recruitment of staff from all African countries at Africa CDC and other regional bodies.
He said Africa must work together to bring together a skills pool from the continent and that Zambia would like to see more of its people working in regional and global institutions.
And Africa CDC Deputy Director Ahmed Ouma thanked the people of Zambia for hosting the Organization’s Regional Collaboration Centre.
Dr Ouma said there is need to improve the regional stake in as far as regional collaboration Centre as based.
He said Africa has faced a challenge of securing the supply chain of vaccines during the Covid pandemic and said Africa CDC would Like Zambia to be part of the African Chain of vaccine manufacturing not only for Covid but other pandemics as well.
Dr Ouma said there is therefore need for African countries to ensure that various countries manufacture vaccines and other medical supplies as only 1 percent of routine vaccines are produced on the continent.
He further pledged his organization’s support towards Zambian’s fight against polio and any other disease outbreaks.
