Donors tell Malawi ‘fight corruption’ to solve drug shortage

Chairperson of the Donor Health Group, Athanase Nzokirishan, has advised Malawi government to fight against the widespread corruption, theft and inefficiencies to abate the shortages of drugs in short and long term.

The advised was given in the capital Lilongwe on Thursday at the annual joint review of the Sector Wide Approach program.

But Malawi's health minister Dr. Jean Kalirani accused donors for failing to provide funds for the procurement of the drugs since 2007.

Kalirani: Donors have not been assisting

Malawi is experiencing a serious drug shortage which is forcing some hospitals to turn patients away.

Nzokirishan said inefficiencies, financial shortfalls, and lack of transparency and accountability at Central Medical Stores have led to the current drug shortage.

"The donor community has intervened consistently on behalf of Malawian citizens over the past two years by procuring and distributing HIV, family planning, child health, and malaria commodities directly to facilities, directly compensating for the weak state of the CMS [Central Medical Stores] system," said Nzokirishan, who is the UNFPA Malawi resident representative.

"Health donors intervened…when theft of drugs from Central Medical Stores threatened the lives of Malawians, and created a parallel distribution system to ensure that donor-procured drugs reached those most in need.

He challenged government to deal with inefficiencies and corruption.

The current drug shortage has also come about because of freezing of aid by some country's major donors, citing President Bingu wa Mutharika's poor stand on governance.

The Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN), a network of organisations that work in the health sector in the country, said the lack of drugs posed a danger to the citizenry.

MHEN Executive Director Martha Kwataine said the problem has been compounded by forex shortage in the country and lack of policy documents to guide the donors on how to fund the health budget.

Nyasa Times 30 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2011/09/29/donors-tell-malawi-%e2%80%98fight-corruption%e2%80%99-to-solve-drug-shortage/
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