BY TANDZILE DLAMINI
MBABANE— The Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula has called on the newly appointed Eswatini Medical Supplies Agency (EMSA) Board to urgently end persistent medicine shortages in public health facilities across the country.
The Minister said the transformation of the Central Medical Stores (CMS) into EMSA marks a major shift aimed at improving the supply of medicines, vaccines and other essential health products to clinics and hospitals.
He said despite improvements in warehousing and procurement in recent years, the health system continues to face serious challenges including frequent stock outs, delayed supplier payments, weak inventory systems, and inefficiencies in procurement and distribution. “These challenges have affected service delivery, especially in rural health facilities where patients often experience shortages of essential medicines,” the Minister noted.
Under the new Eswatini Medical Supplies Agency Act of 2025, EMSA will take over the full mandate of procurement, storage, inventory management, distribution, logistics and quality assurance of medical supplies for public health facilities.
The Minister said the establishment of EMSA is intended to ensure a more reliable and efficient supply chain system that guarantees the consistent availability of quality assured and affordable health products. He said the new agency is expected to operate with stronger oversight and improved accountability to reduce wastage and improve efficiency in the health supply chain.
The EMSA Board has been appointed in line with the Act and will be chaired by Siegfried Musizi Nyahoza. Other members include Khanyakwezwe Mabuza, Thulisile Constance Gamedze, Mfundi Makama, Dr Charity Newton, Garikai Shambira, Sibongile Zondi Hlatshwayo, Okwakhe Phungwayo, while the Chief Executive Officer will be appointed later.
The newly appointed board consists of professionals drawn from healthcare, finance, law, pharmaceuticals, procurement, and public administration. Government says the combination of skills is expected to improve oversight of the medical supply system and strengthen accountability, efficiency, and service delivery in the management of medicines and other essential health products.
The Minister said the board’s first responsibility will be to recruit a Chief Executive Officer who will manage the day to day operations of the agency. He further explained that the board will provide oversight and ensure proper management of risks, resources and performance to support the long term success of EMSA.
The Minister urged the board to act with urgency and commitment, saying the public expects real improvement in medicine availability at health facilities.
