The Maldivian government has established a fully state-owned pharmaceutical import company in a bid to address long-standing problems in access to medicines and rising healthcare costs.
Public access to medicines has been one of the most frequent complaints about the health system in the Maldives. The government says the new company is intended to provide a systematic and sustainable solution, particularly for essential drugs that have been difficult to obtain.
Many challenges in the health sector cannot be resolved at once and require a strong, trusted system built in cooperation with multiple stakeholders. Historically, medicine imports focused primarily on safety standards, with limited attention paid to broader system design and long-term efficiency.
There were significant issues within Aasandha, the national health insurance scheme, that were not widely known to the public. These problems, contributed to persistent concerns under successive governments about the rapid and unsustainable growth in Aasandha’s expenditure. While earlier administrations attempted to address the issue, the current government has taken more decisive steps.
As part of the reform effort, the government has created State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation Limited, a dedicated company responsible for importing medicines. All essential medicines previously brought in under the State Trading Organisation(STO) have now been transferred to the new entity.
The government is also working with neighbouring countries on bulk procurement arrangements to reduce the cost of medicines, acknowledging that the Maldives’ small population limits its bargaining power in international markets.
Speaking on this matter, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said within the next two months all essential medicines required in the Maldives along with a range of drugs that are currently unavailable are expected to be supplied through State Pharma.
“Hopefully, these medicines will be available by the end of April,” he said, adding that the company has already begun working with regional and international partners to ensure responsible and reliable access.
State Pharma has so far placed overseas orders for around 400 medicines that are difficult to obtain locally. The company is also establishing a dedicated call centre to improve public access to information and services, and says it is working to ensure uninterrupted medicine supplies across the atolls.