Auditor General John Muwanga has revealed that at least 5.6 million COVID-19 vaccines, valued at 28.15 billion Shillings, have expired at the National Medical Stores (NMS). The expired vaccines represent a portion of the total stock of 12.59 million vaccines in storage, as per the audit report for the financial year ended June 30, 2023, presented to Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among.
According to the report, more expired COVID-19 vaccines are also present in various health facilities across the country, and the combined loss estimated for the next year (2024) is 300 billion Shillings. These vaccines were procured through the World Bank loan allocated for COVID-19 support.
The Auditor General highlighted that the NMS has non-viable or expired drug stocks worth 33 billion Shillings, showing a 153 percent increase from the previous year’s 13.4 billion. The majority of these drugs include Anti-retroviral medications (ARVs), which expire due to changes in the recommended treatment guidelines by the World Health Organization.
In response, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Diana Atwine, explained that the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines was speculative, given the ongoing pandemic. The government had committed conditional grants from the World Bank to manufacturers for the production and delivery of vaccines, which could not be halted.
Muwanga quoted Atwine, stating that funds from GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, have been secured to manage the recovery and destruction of all expired COVID-19 vaccines. The Auditor General emphasized the need for the government to ensure prudent planning in emergencies and called for action on the recovery and destruction of expired vaccines.
He further advised the NMS Accounting Officer to align the budget for Essential Medicines and Health Supplies (EMHS) appropriately to avoid stocking drugs and ensure timely distribution to health facilities.
