Non-compliance, possible overspending, logistics challenges, poor IT systems, and poor price negotiations are some of the findings by the office of the auditor-general (AG) when it audited the national health department’s vaccination procurement processes and nationwide rollout.
“While there were areas that really worked well in the [health] sector with regards to the vaccination programme, some areas needed improvement,” senior manager at the AG’s office Thabelo Musisinyani said on Wednesday.
The AG’s team briefed the portfolio committee on health on the national department of health’s annual performance plan and tabled a vaccine audit report.
Explaining how the audit came about, business unit leader Andries Sekgetho said: “As part of the government’s response to the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, it embarked on a process of acquiring the vaccines to keep citizens safe.”
In January 2021, former health minister Zweli Mkhize approached the office of AG Tsakani Maluleke, requesting it to conduct a real-time audit similar to the one done on the acquisition of personal protective equipment. The office of the AG then developed a value chain based on its understanding of what processes the department needed to follow.
Beyond the initial logistics challenges and despite fresh Covid-19 outbreaks, vaccination hesitancy is spreading in SA and other countries
The World Health Organisation named vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 threats to global health.