Kaduna Seeks LG Support to Boost Essential Medicines Supply in Rural Communities
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency (KADHSMA) has urged the 23 local government chairmen in the state to deepen collaboration with the agency to guarantee the uninterrupted supply of essential medicines to public health facilities, especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
The Executive Secretary of KADHSMA, Pharmacist Aisha Tukur, made the call on Monday in Kaduna during an advocacy visit by a delegation of the Maternal Accountability Mechanism in Kaduna Initiative (KADMAM), the Kaduna Health Advocacy and Media Alliance (KADHAMA), the Alliance for Kaduna Accountability and Strategic Advocacy (AKASA Network), alongside the EngenderHealth-led Consortium and Development Delivery Partners (DDP).
Tukur said local governments occupy a strategic position in primary healthcare delivery through funding, supervision and community mobilisation, stressing that stronger collaboration with KADHSMA would improve access to quality medicines and strengthen healthcare services across the state.
She described access to safe, quality and affordable medicines as fundamental to achieving quality healthcare and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The Executive Secretary welcomed feedback from civil society organisations and accountability mechanisms, saying such engagements are essential for promoting transparency, accountability and continuous improvement in Kaduna’s health commodity supply chain.
As part of efforts to tackle the rising cost of medicines and delays in drug supplies, Tukur announced that KADHSMA would review and inaugurate its Price Intelligence Unit. She appealed to the EngenderHealth-led Consortium and other development partners to support capacity building for members of the unit.
She also warned residents against purchasing medicines from unregulated markets, advising them to patronise only licensed pharmacies and accredited health facilities to avoid counterfeit and substandard drugs.
According to her, all medicines distributed through KADHSMA are procured from accredited manufacturers and licensed suppliers and subjected to rigorous quality assurance processes before reaching public health facilities.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Garba Muhammad, Co-Chair (CSO) of KADMAM and Chairman of KADHAMA, said the visit was aimed at strengthening partnership with KADHSMA, promoting accountability in health commodity management and identifying practical measures to improve the procurement, storage, distribution and availability of quality-assured medicines across Kaduna State.
He said the delegation also sought closer collaboration with the agency to enhance transparency in medicine pricing, build public confidence in the state’s drug supply system and ensure the timely availability of essential medicines in public health facilities.
The delegation commended KADHSMA for the reforms being implemented in the state’s health commodity supply chain and urged the agency to sustain efforts towards improving efficiency, accountability and equitable access to essential medicines.
At the end of the meeting, KADHSMA, KADMAM, KADHAMA, AKASA Network and the development partners reaffirmed their commitment to sustained collaboration to improve access to quality medicines and strengthen healthcare delivery across Kaduna State.
