The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, has defended the destruction of expired medical supplies worth UGX 316.7 billion, following revelations from the Auditor General’s 2023/24 report. The destroyed supplies included COVID-19 vaccines, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), testing kits, and other essential medicines.
According to Auditor General Edward Akol, this marked a sharp increase from the UGX 33 billion worth of medical supplies destroyed in the 2022/23 financial year. The report raised concerns over wasteful expenditure and mismanagement of resources within the health sector.
Allan Mayanja Ssebunya, Nakaseke Central MP and Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE), criticized the destruction, stating that it was both a financial loss and a denial of much-needed health services to Ugandans.
“How can medical supplies, which are scarce in health centers, end up expiring and being destroyed under the watch of the Ministry of Health?” Mayanja questioned. He added that COSASE would summon the National Medical Stores (NMS) and the Ministry of Health to explain the situation.
The Auditor General’s report revealed that the COVID-19 vaccines, ARVs, and testing kits accounted for UGX 293.5 billion, while essential medicines and health supplies were valued at UGX 23.2 billion.
Dr. Atwine attributed the expired COVID-19 vaccines to declining demand, procurement delays, and changing pandemic dynamics. She explained that the Ministry of Health had secured a World Bank grant for vaccine procurement, but by the time they were delivered, the urgency for vaccinations had diminished.
“By the time the vaccines arrived, Ugandans were no longer interested in taking them. They expired in hospitals, and afterward, GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) extended another grant for their destruction,” Atwine explained.
However, she did not provide an explanation for the expiry of ARVs and other critical medical supplies.
Uganda launched its COVID-19 vaccination campaign on March 10, 2021, and by September 2023, over 26.4 million vaccine doses had been administered. However, uptake declined drastically, leading to the accumulation of unused stock.
As of September 2023, Uganda had recorded 171,869 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,632 deaths.
