Africa-Press – Eswatini. Eswatini is seeking partnerships with Rwanda and Ethiopia to improve access to medicines and strengthen efficiency in its health sector.
This was revealed in Senate on 22 August 2025, when Senator Princess Ntfombiyenkhosi Dlamini, chairperson of the Ministry of Health Portfolio Committee, tabled a report following a benchmarking exercise in the two countries.
Learning from Best Practices
Presenting the report, Princess Ntfombiyenkhosi explained that the benchmarking mission was aimed at exploring how Eswatini could collaborate with Rwanda and Ethiopia in importing medicines, while also addressing challenges of corruption and inefficiencies that have long troubled the sector.
“These countries have built credible systems that ensure accountability in their health supply chains. We wanted to see how Eswatini could learn from their successes,” she told senators.
Health Minister Backs Move
Supporting the findings, Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula said Rwanda and Ethiopia had established strict monitoring mechanisms that tracked how health resources were utilised.
“In these countries, each medical resource is sourced from a specific, authorised supplier. This ensures transparency and cost efficiency. Compared to Eswatini, where irregularities often occur, it is clear that we are losing significant amounts of money,” he noted.
The Minister emphasised that collaboration with the two countries could help eliminate loopholes, reduce losses, and ultimately improve service delivery.
Call for Accountability
The debate also drew contributions from the Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, who highlighted concerns raised internationally that Eswatini’s health budget was high enough to address national needs, yet challenges persisted due to weak systems.
“On paper, our resources should be sufficient. However, without proper accountability and partnerships, we will continue to face the same problems,” she cautioned.
Senators Voice Support
Several senators, including Ndumiso Mdluli (Deputy Senate President), Isaac Magagula, and Gelane Dlamini, voiced strong support for the recommendation. They noted that the health sectors in Rwanda and Ethiopia were viewed as models of efficiency and transparency, and Eswatini stood to benefit greatly from such collaboration.
The adoption of the committee’s report signals a step forward in Eswatini’s efforts to secure affordable and reliable access to medicines, while strengthening oversight in one of the country’s most critical sectors.
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