Uganda advisor urges government to prioritize local pharmaceutical procurement

Moses Byaruhanga, Senior Presidential Advisor for Political Mobilisation, has urged government agencies to increase the procurement of locally manufactured medicines in Uganda. During a meeting with the Uganda Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (UPMA), Byaruhanga emphasized that prioritizing domestic pharmaceutical products would create jobs, conserve foreign exchange, and strengthen the national industrial base.

Byaruhanga noted that in 2016, only approximately five to ten percent of the National Medical Stores' procurement came from local manufacturers. He highlighted that local firms previously faced unfair competition from international bidders in countries like India and China. He recalled that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had previously directed that locally manufactured medicines be procured through domestic bidding to support the local market.