The Ministry of Health has been allocated a budget of E3.24 billion for the 2026/27 financial year.
The allocation was shared by Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg when presenting his Budget Speech in Parliament.
The Minister said the allocation underlined government’s commitment to strengthening service delivery, improving access to care and safeguarding critical programmes.
To improve efficiency in the supply of medicines, government will operationalise the transformation of the Central Medical Stores into the semi-autonomous Eswatini Medical Supplies Agency.
The reform is expected to strengthen governance, modernise procurement and logistics systems, reduce chronic stock-outs and ensure availability of essential medicines nationwide.
An additional E40 million has been set aside under the recurrent budget to support this transition.
The Minister re-affirmed government’s goal that no LiSwati should travel more than eight kilometres to access a health facility — a target guiding infrastructure development and deployment of community health workers.
He noted that the allocation comes at a time when the country is navigating a significant shift in global health financing priorities, particularly funding from the United States Government under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which is currently under review.
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However, he assured the nation that government had engaged directly with US representatives and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure continuity of HIV support.
“In the fight against HIV, Eswatini remains a continental leader and is among the first countries globally to introduce Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable administered twice a year, into its national treatment protocol,” he said.
The drug is expected to significantly improve adherence and health outcomes.
Rijkenberg further shared that the Opium and Habit-forming Drugs (Amendment) Bill, 2025 — gazetted at the end of the last parliamentary session — was ready for tabling and, if passed, was expected to formalise segments of the economy and create thousands of jobs.
“With the E3.24 billion allocation, government is investing in a health system that prioritises prevention, efficiency and equitable access to care,” he said.
Reacting to the allocation, Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula said the priority was tackling the drug shortage crisis.
“We are really grateful for this allocation. Yes, we may not be able to tackle all the challenges faced by the ministry, but we note that we will be able to address some of our priorities, the first being ending the shortage of drugs in the country.
“We have been given a mandate to solve this crisis as soon as possible and this budget is aligned with this directive,” he said.
Matsebula said he was looking to appoint a Board within the next two weeks to oversee the transformation of the Central Medical Stores into the semi-autonomous agency.
