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Zambia

UNDP Bolsters Stronger Drugs Supply Chain in Zambia – Pens US$4m Medical Warehouse Extension Deal

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 22 April 2016 signed a US$4 million contract with a construction company, Wah Kong Enterprises to extend the central warehousing facilities of Zambia’s medical distributor, Medical Stores Limited(MSL).

Upgrading the central warehouse in Lusaka will ease some of the problems of storage and enhance distribution of drugs and supplies right up to district depots and clinics across the country.

The initiative is being funded by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM and it is meant to strengthen the delivery of medicines and medical supplies to health facilities throughout Zambia.

UNDP Country Director, Martim Faria ẻ Maya and the Assistant Managing Director of Wah Kong Enterprises, Tengfei Liu signed on behalf of their respective organisations. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Director of MSL, Dr. Boniface Fundafunda.

Expansion works on the main warehouse began on 25 of April 2016 and are expected to be completed by the January 2017.

During the ceremony, the Managing Director, Medical Stores Limited, Dr. Boniface Fundafunda, thanked UNDP for its tireless efforts in ensuring that the project commences.

UNDP Country Director Martim Faria ẻ Maya reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to supporting the government in inmproving health care delivery services in the country. He said the project was made possible through the hard work of all stakeholders involved.

Also speaking at the event, UNDP Senior Procurement Adviser, Rino Meyers lauded the entire team for all efforts made to make the project possible.

The Central Medical Stores is the central actor of the Ministry of Health for the storage and distribution of medicines and other health commodities for the public sector in Zambia. Storage and handling space requirements have increased considerably over the last years as there are more products distributed to the population procured through funding from government and international partners.

MSL is further modernizing its infrastructure to meet international pharmaceutical standards to ensure timely distribution and quality of the products for patients in Zambia.

Upgrading of the central store in Lusaka is part of MSL infrastructure masterplan, developed with UNDP support, to further improve its last mile distribution up to the health facilities around the country. Other elements are the establishment of new stores and upgrading of the existing ones in the regions.

Phase one of the Lusaka store is to be followed soon by the construction of the phase 2 modern warehouse attached to the existing one. This will increase the current storage space from 8 000 to 26 000 pallet locations.

This infrastructure improvement is part of the national public health supply chain strategy of the Ministry of Health and will assist MSL to reach its objective of furnishing to the nation good quality medicines and medical equipment at accessible prices.