01/12/2025
CMST HOLDS 2026/27 MEDICINES AND MEDICAL SUPPLY QUANTIFICATION AND PLANNING SESSION
Today the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chikaiko Chadzunda, officially opened a two-day 2026 — 2027 Medicines and Medical Supply (MMS) quantification and supply planning session, calling on participants “to exercise a patient-centred duty of care by making sure all critical items are adequately considered.”
He said he expects the session “to be rigorous, data-driven, and aligned to national priorities as well as reflective of global best practices (WHO, USAID, UNICEF) and the realities of a low-resource public health supply chain.”
Director of Pharmaceutical Operations, Mr Geoffrey Ngwira, said “the session is expected to draw on up-to-date epidemiological trends, service delivery data, and historical consumption patterns to generate realistic forecasts, assess current stock levels, pipeline orders, supplier lead times, and available funding,” while also “accounting for policy or treatment guideline changes that affect product demand.”
Representatives from the Procurement and Finance Directorates also hinted on need to agree on appropriate forecasting assumptions, evaluate affordability, and generate a detailed supply plan with procurement schedules and projected stock levels, with mitigation strategies provided for identified risks.
The meeting will also consider government programmes, Ministry of Health quantification, and possible development partner commitments to avoid duplication, and ensure a harmonised, well-documented, transparent, and actionable national supply plan.
