Health workers across Zimbabwe steal medicine from public clinics to sell on the black market because they earn very little money. A new report from Transparency International Zimbabwe shows that these workers pass drugs to street vendors who mark up prices for sick people. Many common medicines, like Ciprofloxacin, cost vendors about $2 for ten tablets but sell for $1 per single tablet on the streets. The same medicine costs just $3.50 for 100 tablets in neighboring Zambia. This shows how much profit these informal sellers make.
The underground drug trade happens because health workers struggle with tiny paychecks, poor working conditions, and weak oversight at hospitals. People buy these medications without proper medical guidance or prescriptions, creating health risks. Birth control pills normally priced at $14 for 54 pills go for $1 per three tablets on street corners. Antibiotics flow freely through these informal channels without medical supervision. Transparency International wants the government to pay health workers better wages and create stronger tracking systems for medicine supplies.
The underground drug trade happens because health workers struggle with tiny paychecks, poor working conditions, and weak oversight at hospitals. People buy these medications without proper medical guidance or prescriptions, creating health risks. Birth control pills normally priced at $14 for 54 pills go for $1 per three tablets on street corners. Antibiotics flow freely through these informal channels without medical supervision. Transparency International wants the government to pay health workers better wages and create stronger tracking systems for medicine supplies.
