EDITORIAL: Quinine scandal a rotten pill

The illegal import of unregistered quinine medication by the health ministry is not an isolated incident – it is the latest episode in a saga of entrenched rot that continues to plague Namibia’s health procurement system.According to revelations first made by activist Job Amupanda and confirmed by health minister Esperance Luvindao, quinine sulphate tablets – procured at a cost of N$450 000 – were smuggled into the country through an unauthorised port of entry and without the necessary approvals from the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council (NMRC). These are serious violations of both law and public trust.What makes this scandal particularly galling is that it played out during a national malaria crisis, when the lives of ordinary Namibians hung in the balance. Instead of reinforcing safety and transparency, officials bypassed procurement protocols and regulatory safeguards – ironically in the name of urgency and saving lives. But in doing so, they exposed patients to unregulated drugs whose quality, safety and efficacy are unknown. Even scarier is the fact that we don’t know if any of the illegal quinine has been administered to the public.To many, this may sound like yet another procurement scandal – and it is. But it’s also a symptom of a larger disease. Health procurement in Namibia has long been riddled with allegations of corruption, irregular awarding of tenders, inflated pricing and poor accountability. The quinine scandal is not a blunder – it is a breach of trust. It is a deliberate circumvention of the law under the guise of an emergency. Even worse, it is the result of a procurement culture that has normalised shortcuts and sidelined ethics. If we are serious about restoring integrity to health procurement, we must demand more than ministerial statements. We must demand prosecutions.

EDITORIAL: Quinine scandal a rotten pill

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-16

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EDITORIAL: Quinine scandal a rotten pill

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-16

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