Namibia’s medicine supply system is operating at only 60% stock availability, with several essential medicines and clinical products still either understocked or temporarily unavailable.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services said the current stock level reflects the quantity of medicines supplied compared to orders placed by healthcare facilities across the country.
The shortages have forced the Ministry to continue with emergency procurement measures as it works to increase medicine availability to at least 80%.
Additional pharmaceutical and clinical supplies were delivered to the Central Medical Stores between 27 April and 15 May 2026.
The deliveries included antibiotics, anaesthetics, chronic disease medication and critical care products, with some consignments expected to provide between 12 and 14 months of stock coverage.
However, the Ministry said some medicines remain in short supply due to supplier production schedules, with further deliveries expected in batches over the coming weeks.
According to the Ministry, some of the quantities delivered may appear low because they are intended to supplement stock already available within the supply system while addressing urgent shortages.
Authorities are also pursuing longer-term bulk procurement arrangements aimed at improving stock stability across public health facilities.
The Ministry said several interventions are being implemented to strengthen the pharmaceutical supply chain, including pooled procurement systems, expanding supplier networks, faster medicine registration processes, real-time stock monitoring and improved distribution systems.
Additional reforms are also being introduced at the Central Medical Stores and the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council to improve procurement turnaround times and strengthen overall system capacity.
