Drug Imports Draining Malawi: Pharmaceutical Stakeholders Push for Local Manufacturing Revolution
Pharmaceutical stakeholders in Malawi have issued a strong call to action: invest in local drug manufacturing or continue facing drug shortages, foreign exchange crises, and a flood of substandard imports.
Speaking during the 2025 Pharmacy Expo held in Blantyre on Saturday, William Mpute, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Malawi (PHASOM), warned that unless urgent investment is made in local pharmaceutical production, Malawi’s healthcare system will remain dangerously dependent on foreign suppliers.
“We are not just calling for investment—we are sounding the alarm. Malawi is losing billions in forex and exposing its citizens to substandard drugs because we don’t produce enough of our own,” said Mpute.
He said Malawi’s overdependence on drug imports—over 90 percent sourced from India and China—has left the country vulnerable to foreign exchange volatility, supply chain disruptions, and counterfeit medicines.
Currently, only five local pharmaceutical companies—Pharmanova, Kentam Products, Malawi Pharmacies Limited, Crown Pharmacies, and Victoria Pharmacies—exist in the country, collectively supplying a mere 20 percent of national drug needs.
“In 30 years, we’ve only added one pharmaceutical company. That’s unacceptable,” Mpute said. “We are spending as much as K80 billion annually on drug imports, a figure that is rising and draining our reserves.”
He also noted that the lack of a conducive investment climate has led to a 10 percent decline in local production in recent years.
Enock Foster, Central Region General Manager for Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST), echoed Mpute’s concerns, saying middlemen and import markups are inflating drug procurement costs, placing even more pressure on Malawi’s limited forex.
“We need to rethink our procurement model. Boosting local production will not only cut costs, but also save forex and create local jobs,” Foster said.
He urged government to develop a robust regulatory and investment framework to encourage both domestic and international investors to set up pharmaceutical manufacturing plants in Malawi.
Experts at the expo also underlined the strategic importance of local drug manufacturing for pandemic preparedness. Professor Sveinbjorn Gizurarson and pharmacist Moses Chisale emphasized that Malawi has enough scientific talent to produce quality drugs that meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
“Malawi must change its mindset from being an import-dependent country to a pharmaceutical producer. We have the brains — what we need now is policy support and investment incentives,” said Chisale.
PHASOM says building a robust pharmaceutical manufacturing industry aligns with the country’s Malawi 2063 Vision, which aims for self-reliance and economic resilience.
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