MSD significantly increases procurement of the locally-manufactured health products

DAR ES SALAAM: The Director General of the Medical Stores Department (MSD), Mavere Tukai, has announced that the agency has significantly increased its procurement of health products from local manufacturers, a move aimed at improving medicine availability and strengthening the domestic industrial sector.

Speaking today,  April 2, 2026, during a working session between the Minister of Health, Mohamed Mchengerwa, and health sector stakeholders held at MSD offices in Keko, Dar es Salaam, Tukai stated that the value of locally sourced health commodities rose sharply from  15.9bn/- in the 2021/2022 financial year to  98bn/- in 2024/2025.

He added that for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, MSD has set a target to procure between  120bn/- and 130bn/- from local manufacturers, as part of a broader strategy to increase reliance on domestic production within the health sector.

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According to Tukai, MSD has also reduced its dependence on intermediaries, with procurement through middlemen dropping from 82 percent in 2021/2022 to 38 percent in 2025/2026. At the same time, direct procurement from manufacturers has increased substantially from 18 percent to 75 percent over the same period.

He noted that these reforms are intended to create a balanced commercial ecosystem between intermediaries and accredited manufacturers, while also enhancing competition and efficiency within the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Additionally, Tukai highlighted that medicines that previously faced supply challenges, including cancer treatments, are now more widely available and at lower costs. This development is expected to improve access to healthcare services and significantly reduce treatment expenses for citizens.