New technology for tracking medicines movement coming
Sharon Kunda-Government with the support of the World Bank is set to introduce a pharmaceutical serialization and traceability technology aimed at tracking the movement of medicines.
Technology and Science Minister FELIX MUTATI says this will eliminate wastage, pilferage and fraud of medicines.
Speaking during a joint press briefing with Health Minister SYLVIA MASEBO in Lusaka , Mr. MUTATI said the Technology to be introduced will track medicines from the source of manufacturing until they are delivered to their final destination.
He said Government is determined NOT to compromise service delivery.
Mr. MUTATI said the financing model of the Project is based on public private partnership and that there will be no cost attached to it on the part of Government.
And Ms. MASEBO said Government will continue to stabilize the supply of medicines in the country.
The Health Minister said the spending threshold of health facilities has been increased from the range of 3 to 10 percent to about 40 percent.
The Health Minister said health facilities were negatively affected in the past due to the limited spending threshold and that now they will be able to procure medicines they need from money allocated to them.
Meanwhile, Ms. MASEBO has revealed an outbreak of typhoid fever in Mbala district of Northern Province.
She said out of 2 hundred and 56 typhoid suspected cases that were screened, 2 hundred and 15 had positive screen tests while 38 were identified to have active infections.
The Health Minister said water quality tests have also confirmed bacterial infection.
Ms. MASEBO said health authorities are conducting intensive screening in Mbala business district as well as at ports of entry.
She explained that the symptoms of typhoid are prolonged fever, fatigue, headache and diarrhea among others.
Ms. MASEBO further said the country has also recorded a measles outbreak in Chirundu and increased scabies outbreak in Lavushimanda.
She however said all the outbreaks are under control.
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