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Senior Reporter
The Government must step up efforts to capacitate the National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe as the dependence on donors for 98 percent of the country’s drugs poses a serious national security threat, Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa has said.
Minister Parirenyatwa said the health sector should be treated as a crucial national security matter and a situation where the country depends on donors for 98 percent of its drugs must be avoided to prevent risks of breaching peace and security.

He was speaking at the National Defence College where he was giving a lecture to the second intake of 26 participants drawn from the ZNA, ZRP, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, the Central Intelligence Organisation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Often people look upon health as a social sector, but I look upon health as an economic and security sector,” he said. “If we do not do well in health the whole security of our country is endangered.

“You recall in 2008 we had a problem with cholera to the extent that countries like the US and others wanted to use that as a part excuse to invade us, so do not underestimate that.”

Minister Parirenyatwa said a healthy nation affected the country’s productivity and was critical for economic activity.
He said the fact that 98 percent of drugs in clinics were funded by donors exposed the country to risk if the funders were to pull out.
“Essential medicines are a security matter,” said Minister Parirenyatwa.

“In this country, 98 percent of all the drugs that are being used in all clinics are from donors, should they pull out, it’s a real security risk and I am appealing to you to help us lobby that Government avails money to the National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe to help us alleviate that security risk.”

The minister took a swipe at some NGOs who were not working through Government structures and were implementing their own parallel programmes.

“We have a problem sometimes with the NGOs,” he said.
“They come in and make their own programmes and bring out their own statistics and when you go to a meeting, say in Bangkok, you find somebody churning out statistics on Zimbabwe.

“And you say: “Where did you get these from? and they will tell you: “We were in Bikita and we did this small research and they did not come through us.

“So, I think we have a problem there at a political level. Our ministry is saying let’s have one system.”
Minister Parirenyatwa said it was important that anyone who wanted to assist come through the Government for proper coordination and monitoring of programmes.