Zambezi region faces medicine shortages and access challenges

Patients in Namibia’s Zambezi region are reporting significant difficulties accessing and affording essential medicines at public health facilities. Residents in Katima Mulilo have noted that after spending hours queuing at hospitals, they are frequently informed that prescribed treatments are unavailable, forcing them to purchase medication from private pharmacies.

This shortage places a heavy financial burden on elderly residents relying on pensions and households without permanent employment. The cost of medication, combined with high transport expenses for those traveling from distant villages, has led some patients to resort to traditional remedies. Local residents have called for health education to better account for these economic realities.

In response to broader health needs, pharmacists from both public and private sectors have launched outreach activities in Katima Mulilo under the theme ‘Empowering Pharmacists for Healthier Futures’. These initiatives focus on disease prevention, such as hypertension and diabetes, and promote the safe use of both conventional and traditional medicines. Health officials are seeking to collaborate with traditional herbalists to ensure safe dosing and to prevent dangerous interactions between herbal and pharmaceutical treatments.