The Acting Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Gabriel Chembezi, has called for stronger measures to combat corruption in Malawi’s pharmaceutical sector amid persistent drug shortages and theft in public health facilities.
Chembezi made the remarks when he appeared before Parliament’s Health Committee, where he outlined several areas of concern that require urgent attention to address corruption in the procurement, storage and distribution of medicines.
He identified procurement and contracting, receipt and inventory management, storage facilities, distribution systems and service delivery points as key areas vulnerable to corruption.
Chembezi said malpractice in the pharmaceutical supply chain includes collusive tendering, falsification of delivery notes and stock records, theft of medicines, pilferage during distribution and informal payments at health facilities.
He emphasised the need for stronger systems, legal reforms and tougher penalties to deter individuals involved in the theft and misuse of public medicines.
The Acting ACB Director General also called for political will from both the Executive and Parliament, urging authorities to avoid interfering in investigations and prosecutions.
He further stressed the importance of coordination among institutions such as the Malawi Revenue Authority, Police and Judiciary in tackling corruption in the pharmaceutical sector.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of Parliament’s Health Committee, Anthony Masamba, said the committee was impressed with the engagement and recommendations presented by the ACB.
Masamba said the Bureau had acknowledged the country’s acute shortage of medicines and persistent theft of drugs, revealing that it was investigating 28 cases related to drug theft, with two convictions secured while other cases remain under investigation.
He said one of the major recommendations presented by the ACB was the need to amend the Penal Code to introduce tougher penalties for people found stealing medicines.
Masamba explained that the proposed reforms could include strict restrictions on bail and life imprisonment for drug theft offenders, similar to measures applied in some other countries.
Another recommendation is for the Judiciary to establish a special division specifically responsible for handling drug theft cases.
According to Masamba, such a division would help expedite the prosecution of cases while deterring potential offenders.
He said the committee believes that implementing the recommendations would strengthen accountability and protect medicines intended for patients in public hospitals.
Masamba described the meeting as productive, saying the committee was satisfied with the recommendations, suggestions and interaction with the ACB.
