The Ministry of Health and Social Services on Tuesday acknowledged pressure on the availability of essential medicines and HIV test kits in health facilities. The ministry’s executive director, Penda Ithindi, said in a media statement that, to mitigate shortages, the ministry has implemented a stock redistribution strategy, through which existing stock within and between regions is continuously moved. 

“This ensures that any stagnant stock is efficiently moved to areas experiencing shortages, optimising the utilisation of available resources,” Ithindi said. Other measures include increased regional buy-out budgets, empowering regional health facilities with additional funds to procure vital items in the short term. The strategy, according to the statement, will ensure immediate access to necessary medications while national-level processes are focused on securing longer-term supply solutions.The executive director also acknowledged the limited quantity of paracetamol formulations across health facilities. In response, the ministry has ordered 3 000 000 units of paracetamol syrup, which are currently in transit to Namibia and expected to arrive in mid-December 2025. This supply is projected to meet national demand for 12 months. Furthermore, Ithindi highlighted that the Sure-Check HIV self-test, which utilises less than 2% of national HIV tests, remains in minimal quantity across the country. Procurement processes for additional supplies are underway, and redistribution of currently available stock continues to support uninterrupted testing services where needed. “While actively pursuing long-term procurement solutions, the ministry is simultaneously implementing short-term mitigation measures, accelerating procurement actions and optimising national redistribution strategies to address immediate needs and maintain service delivery,” he added. -Nampa