Zambia is exploring new partnerships with healthcare and pharmaceutical companies from Brazil and Paraguay as the Government seeks practical solutions to long-standing challenges in the country’s health sector. The discussions took place in Lusaka when Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Kennedy Lishimpi met a delegation of South American healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. The talks focused on improving access to affordable medicines, strengthening healthcare services and introducing modern technologies into Zambia’s health system. Government also wants to expand local pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce the country’s dependence on imported medical supplies. The engagement comes as Zambia continues to pursue universal health coverage and more equitable access to safe, quality and affordable healthcare services.
Lishimpi said strategic partnerships will be important in helping Zambia address gaps in healthcare delivery and build stronger domestic capacity. The Government is looking at cooperation with private-sector companies that can provide technology, expertise, investment and innovative solutions for the health sector. Access to affordable and reliable medicines remains an important part of an effective healthcare system because health facilities need consistent supplies to provide treatment. Strengthening local production could also give Zambia greater control over the availability of selected medicines and medical supplies. The Government’s approach combines immediate healthcare needs with longer-term plans to build a stronger and more self-reliant health sector.
A major area of interest is pharmaceutical manufacturing within Zambia. The Government wants to strengthen local manufacturing capacity so that more essential medicines and medical supplies can be produced domestically. Increased local production could create opportunities for investment, employment and skills development while supporting the availability of healthcare products. Technology transfer will also be important because establishing competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing requires specialised knowledge, appropriate equipment and strong quality-control systems. The discussions with Brazilian and Paraguayan companies are therefore focused not only on supplying products but also on developing capabilities that can support Zambia’s health sector over the long term.
The Government is also seeking to introduce modern technologies that can improve the way health services operate. Digital health solutions can support better management of patient information, strengthen health data systems and improve visibility across medical supply chains. Better access to accurate and timely information can help health authorities identify supply problems and respond more efficiently to healthcare needs. The Government has also highlighted the importance of digital transformation at the primary healthcare level, where many people first access health services. Strengthening technology in these facilities could support more efficient service delivery while improving the flow of information between healthcare providers and health authorities.
Supply-chain management is another key issue in the discussions. Ensuring that medicines reach health facilities on time requires coordination between manufacturers, regulators, distributors, warehouses and healthcare facilities. Delays at any stage can affect the availability of essential medicines and place additional pressure on health workers and patients. The South American delegation is expected to explore ways of applying its expertise in pharmaceutical supply chains and health technology to Zambia’s existing systems. Improving supply-chain visibility could help authorities identify bottlenecks earlier and support more efficient movement of medicines across the country.
The delegation includes representatives from ESHA Health Holding, Biocure Pharma Biotechnology, Fiocruz, Synvia, Galileu 360 and PROSALUD. The companies bring experience in areas including healthcare innovation, biotechnology, pharmaceutical supply chains, clinical research and digital transformation. Their areas of expertise correspond with several priorities identified by Zambia’s Ministry of Health. The engagement provides an opportunity for Government institutions and private-sector companies to examine where technical cooperation, investment and technology transfer could be developed. Any future partnerships will need to align with Zambia’s regulatory requirements and health-sector priorities.
Biotechnology and clinical research also form part of the Government’s broader plans to strengthen Zambia’s domestic health capabilities. Clinical research can contribute to better understanding of diseases, treatments and healthcare interventions when it operates within appropriate scientific and ethical frameworks. Biotechnology can support the development and production of health-related products and strengthen technical capacity within the country. Building expertise in these areas could help Zambia expand beyond reliance on imported technologies and products. It could also support the development of institutions and professionals capable of contributing to the country’s long-term health security.
The Government is also seeking direct investment from international companies as part of its health-sector development strategy. Investment can provide funding for manufacturing facilities, technology, research infrastructure and other areas that require significant capital. The Government has indicated that such investment should also create local employment opportunities and facilitate the transfer of technical knowledge to Zambian workers and institutions. This approach places local capacity building alongside the attraction of foreign investment. The long-term objective is to strengthen Zambia’s ability to produce medical supplies locally and reduce dependence on imports where domestic production is viable.
The three-day visit provides the delegation with an opportunity to engage several key institutions involved in Zambia’s health system. One of the institutions involved is the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority, known as ZAMRA, where discussions are expected to focus on the approval and regulation of medical products. Efficient regulatory processes are important for ensuring that medicines and other health products meet required safety, quality and efficacy standards. At the same time, regulatory systems need to support timely access to products that meet those standards. Cooperation in this area could help identify practical ways to improve regulatory processes while maintaining the necessary safeguards.
The delegation is also expected to engage the Zambia National Public Health Institute, or ZNPHI. Its role in public health surveillance makes cooperation in disease monitoring and outbreak prevention particularly relevant. Strong surveillance systems help health authorities identify potential health threats and coordinate responses when outbreaks occur. Collaboration in technology, data systems and laboratory-related capabilities could support the development of stronger public health infrastructure. Such cooperation would complement Zambia’s wider objective of improving health security and strengthening its ability to respond to public health challenges.
Another institution on the delegation’s programme is the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency, or ZAMMSA. Discussions with ZAMMSA are expected to examine supply-chain challenges and ways of improving the timely delivery of medicines to health facilities. ZAMMSA plays an important role in the procurement, storage and distribution of medicines and medical supplies within Zambia’s public health system. Addressing bottlenecks in this part of the system could help improve the availability of essential products at healthcare facilities. The discussions therefore connect the international partnership initiative with practical issues affecting medicine distribution.
The involvement of the Zambia Development Agency and the Embassy of Zambia in Brazil has helped facilitate the three-day engagement. The Zambia Development Agency plays a role in promoting investment and supporting economic opportunities in the country, making its involvement relevant to efforts to attract healthcare investment. The Zambian Embassy in Brazil can also support stronger institutional and commercial links between Zambia and Brazilian companies. Cooperation with Paraguay adds another dimension to the engagement by bringing additional South American expertise and business interests into the discussions. These links could provide a foundation for future partnerships if the participating institutions identify projects that meet Zambia’s health and investment priorities.
The focus on local manufacturing is particularly significant because a stronger domestic pharmaceutical sector could have effects beyond medicine availability. New manufacturing facilities can create jobs while generating demand for technical, scientific, logistics and professional services. Training and technology transfer can also help build a workforce with specialised skills in pharmaceutical production, biotechnology and healthcare technology. However, successful local manufacturing requires appropriate investment, reliable infrastructure, regulatory capacity and sustained demand for products that meet required standards. The Government’s discussions with international companies therefore need to translate into practical investments and partnerships that can operate effectively over the long term.
The broader goal remains universal health coverage and equitable access to healthcare for people living in Zambia. Achieving that objective involves more than increasing the number of healthcare facilities because medicines, trained personnel, technology, information systems and reliable supply chains are also essential. Partnerships with international companies can provide additional expertise and investment, but their value will depend on how effectively they strengthen Zambia’s own health institutions and workforce. The emphasis on technology transfer and local employment indicates that Government wants partnerships to contribute to domestic capacity rather than simply create new channels for importing products. This could make cooperation with international healthcare companies part of a wider effort to build a more resilient national health system.
The meeting between Kennedy Lishimpi and the delegation from Brazil and Paraguay marks an effort to connect Zambia’s health priorities with international expertise in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, clinical research, digital health and supply-chain management. The discussions cover immediate concerns such as access to affordable medicines as well as longer-term priorities such as local manufacturing, technology transfer and health-sector investment. Engagements with ZAMRA, ZNPHI and ZAMMSA during the three-day visit are expected to provide opportunities to examine specific challenges within the health system. If these discussions lead to practical partnerships, Zambia could expand its capacity in areas that are important to medicine availability, healthcare delivery and public health preparedness. The central objective remains clear, to build a stronger health system that can provide safe, quality and affordable healthcare services to people across the country while increasing Zambia’s own capacity to produce and manage essential health products.