Parliament tracks stolen drugs

Parliament’s Health Committee is turning its attention to Malawi’s borders as it investigates how medicines disappearing from public health facilities are allegedly finding their way into neighbouring countries.

Committee chairperson Anthony Masamba said in an interview on Monday that they will visit Songwe in Karonga, Mchinji, Dedza, Mwanza, Chiponde in Mangochi and Muloza in Mulanje to assess possible loopholes being exploited in the illicit movement of medicines.

Masamba: It’s shocking. | Nation

He said the field visits will allow the committee to engage frontline officials responsible for monitoring people and goods crossing the country’s borders before the parliamentary inquiry begins.

Said Masamba: “It’s shocking that medicines originating from Malawi are being sold openly in neighbouring countries, despite our public health facilities struggling to maintain adequate supplies.”

In an interview, Ministry of Health and Sanitation spokesperson Benedicto Mbewe acknowledged that there are loopholes facilitating drug theft but did not specify them.

Meanwhile, Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe has welcomed the border visits but cautioned that engaging border officials alone may not provide the full picture.

On his part, health rights campaigner Maziko Matemba described the visits as a critical escalation in addressing what he said may have evolved from localised pilferage into an organised cross-border trade.

A 2015 Ministry of Health study tracking nearly 2 400 medicine boxes in Malawi also found substantial losses between Central Medical Stores and health facilities. Other investigations have found stolen public medicines being sold through private outlets.

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