Kinshasa, October 6th, 2026 (CPA) – The strike movement by public sector pharmacists has been announced on Tuesday in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, by the national trade union, following the non-payment of the hazard allowance in accordance with the International Labour Organisation, CPA has learnt from health sector sources.
“The strike is for public sector pharmacists; you know this could have knock-on effects in the private sector. During the strike, we are putting the Congolese public in general, and any patients, on alert. Medicines are not ordinary products: their quality, safety and proper use require the involvement of a qualified professional,” Dr Benjamin Kabwe, vice-president of the National Union of Pharmacists of DRC has declared. He has pointed out that any medicine that is not received, checked, stored, prepared or dispensed under the supervision of a pharmacist must be considered a potential risk to public health. The vice-president of the National Union of Pharmacists has indicated that their demands are of an administrative and financial nature, explaining that, on the administrative front, there is the issue of the recruitment of pharmacists on permanent terms, and of promotion within the pay scale – where the last staff to benefit from this were promoted back in 2002, whilst others have already retired at their entry-level pay grade after serving the nation in such a vital field as pharmacy.
On the financial front, he has emphasised, the demand is to bring pharmacists into line with the hazard allowance in accordance with ILO standards. To rectify this, the current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Budget had acknowledged the issue and instructed that pharmacists be restored to their rightful status at the time, so that they might genuinely enjoy their entitlements. ‘The allocation process is carried out in an unsatisfactory and unfair manner, as in each allocation round, fewer than 10 pharmacists are included out of the thousands considered.’ Every time we raise this with the authorities, particularly the Minister in charge of Health – whose last correspondence dates from April 2026 – unfortunately we have not even received a written acknowledgement of receipt from the Minister; this is deplorable,” Dr Kabwe has lamented. “We expect the government to take pharmacists’ demands into account and, above all, to restore pharmacists’ rights in the fourth quarter of 2026. In this regard, the pharmacist is an essential link in the medicines supply chain, from procurement right through to dispensing to the patient. Their professional responsibility helps to ensure the quality, safety, efficacy and proper use of medicines,” he has explained. In his view, safeguarding the role and responsibility of pharmacists within the medicines supply chain means enhancing patient safety and protecting public health. That is why he has called on the authorities to take urgent action to respond to pharmacists’ demands in order to avoid the worst-case scenario. CPA/