CAMEBU
CAMEBU is Burundi's publicly owned central medical store, responsible for importing and distributing essential medicines and medical supplies.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
CAMEBU, formally the Centrale d’achat des médicaments essentiels, des dispositifs médicaux et des produits et matériels de laboratoire du Burundi, is Burundi's publicly owned central purchasing and distribution enterprise for medicines and health commodities. It was established by Decree No. 100/035 of 29 March 2000 and operates under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Public Health. The institution is intended to make essential generic medicines, medical devices, laboratory products and related materials available to public and private health facilities and pharmacies across the country. CAMEBU's role is broader than simple warehousing. Its mandate includes purchasing and importing health commodities, maintaining stock, distributing products geographically, recovering costs, and helping stabilize prices. It is required to use international competitive tenders so that suppliers compete on price. Pharmaceutical regulation is handled by the Burundian Regulatory Authority for Medicines for Human Use and Food, known as ABREMA, which is part of the Ministry of Health and also oversees CAMEBU as a semi-autonomous public institution. The organization has historically served hospitals, health districts, religious health networks and rural pharmacies. In January 2012 it was reported to have 422 clients. Its principal storage complex included six warehouses, two air-conditioned rooms, two cold rooms maintained between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, and a separate area for flammable products. The facility had originally been built in 1990 for a population of approximately four million people, but by 2012 it was serving a population of roughly eight million. The government rented additional space and planned extensions as demand outgrew the original infrastructure. Two additional storage sheds were completed in 2014. CAMEBU has also faced operational and governance challenges. Reported shortages have forced health districts to purchase from private suppliers, which could charge higher prices when CAMEBU lacked stock. Reports also described losses or diversion of medicines during transport and distribution, including supplies intended for public facilities being redirected to private facilities. In 2016 the organization destroyed approximately 12 tons of expired pharmaceutical products at Kumusenyi after recognizing that disposal at an urban rubbish dump near Lake Tanganyika posed environmental risks. The open-air burning method itself attracted criticism because of smoke, odor and potential public-health hazards. The government sought to strengthen CAMEBU's central role in the health-supply system. In 2019 the Minister of Social Affairs said CAMEBU would become Burundi's sole central supplier and would cooperate with the Mutuelle de la Fonction publique to import medicines directly from manufacturers. The policy was intended to improve prices and reduce procurement delays that could previously last seven to twelve months. With USAID assistance, CAMEBU changed its distribution model in 2020 from a system relying principally on facilities placing orders, or pull distribution, to a combined push-and-pull system. The change was particularly important during the COVID-19 period and included multi-month distribution of antiretroviral medicines. The distribution reform was piloted in 11 health districts and later extended to all 48 districts. CAMEBU also began planning interior supply points to reduce the need for districts to collect medicines from the main facility. A center in Gitega was opened in April 2022. Despite these reforms, reporting in 2023 indicated that public hospitals continued to experience shortages of medicines and medical equipment, with patients sometimes required to obtain products and diagnostic tests from private operators. CAMEBU therefore remains a strategically important but operationally pressured part of Burundi's public-health infrastructure. In 2024 it was listed among public or mixed enterprises that had not paid dividends to the state, although the available material does not establish the organization's current financial result or dividend obligation.
History
CAMEBU was created under Burundi's Decree No. 100/035 on 29 March 2000. Its creation formalized a national central-purchasing function for essential medicines, medical devices, laboratory materials and associated health commodities. The enterprise was placed under the Ministry of Public Health, with a mandate to support both the availability and affordability of products used by Burundi's health system. It was also expected to manage inventory, recover procurement and distribution costs, and contribute to price stability. The organization inherited or operated storage infrastructure designed for pharmaceutical products. The principal facility, built in 1990, contained six warehouses, two air-conditioned rooms, two cold rooms capable of maintaining temperatures from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, and a separate store for flammable items. By January 2012 CAMEBU was supporting 422 clients, including hospitals, health districts, religious health providers and rural pharmacies. The storage complex had originally been designed for a population of about four million, while the population being served had grown to approximately eight million. Additional rented premises and planned extensions were therefore needed. Two new medicine-storage sheds were completed in 2014. CAMEBU's central role did not eliminate supply problems. Private pharmaceutical importers could fill gaps when CAMEBU had no stock, but this could expose districts and patients to higher prices. Reporting also identified risks of theft during movement from procurement to health centers and diversion of products intended for public facilities. These problems reflected the difficulty of managing a national medicine supply chain with limited storage, transport and oversight capacity. Expired-product disposal became another point of concern. In September 2016 CAMEBU burned roughly 12 tons of expired medicines at Kumusenyi. The organization had previously disposed of such products at the Buterere rubbish dump, but said that location was inappropriate because of its proximity to Lake Tanganyika and the possibility of pollution. The Kumusenyi site was selected because it was relatively remote and had rocky, impervious ground. Nevertheless, residents complained about smoke and smell, while a University of Burundi professor warned that open-air burning at low temperatures could be dangerous. The episode illustrates the environmental and public-health constraints surrounding pharmaceutical logistics in Burundi. In 2019 the government signaled an intention to give CAMEBU an even more dominant procurement role. The Minister of Social Affairs said the enterprise would become the country's only central supplier and would collaborate with the Mutuelle de la Fonction publique to import medicines directly from manufacturers. The stated objectives were to secure better prices and reduce procurement delays, which had reportedly reached seven to twelve months. ABREMA, the medicines and food regulatory authority within the Ministry of Health, remained responsible for sector regulation and oversight of the semi-autonomous enterprise. CAMEBU modernized its distribution approach during the COVID-19 crisis. In September 2020, with USAID assistance, it began shifting from a largely pull-based model, in which health facilities requested products, to a combined push-and-pull model that allowed proactive deliveries. The pilot covered 11 health districts and included multi-month antiretroviral distribution. After three distribution rounds, the approach was expanded to all 48 health districts. The ministry also announced that CAMEBU would deliver directly to districts, reducing the need for health authorities to collect medicines and face risks of road damage or accidents. The organization planned interior supply points, beginning with Gitega, and the Gitega center was opened in April 2022. Despite this expansion, reports in 2023 said that public hospitals still often lacked medicines and medical equipment. Patients sometimes had to buy medicines and diagnostic services from private operators, while broken equipment could require technicians from outside the immediate region. Hospitals also faced payment and reimbursement tensions involving public employees' health coverage. In 2024 CAMEBU was listed among public and mixed enterprises that had not paid dividends to the state, but no reliable financial figures were provided. CAMEBU therefore remains an active public medical-supply institution whose importance has grown alongside persistent procurement, infrastructure, distribution and governance challenges.
- 2022
Gitega supply center opened
[1]A regional CAMEBU center opened in Gitega as part of efforts to decentralize medicine supply.
- 2021
Distribution reform planned for nationwide rollout
[1]The direct-delivery model was intended to expand from northern districts to all 48 health districts.
- 2020
Push-and-pull distribution pilot launched
[1]With USAID assistance, CAMEBU piloted proactive distribution in 11 districts and introduced multi-month antiretroviral deliveries.
- 2019
Central-supplier policy announced
[1]The government said CAMEBU would become Burundi's sole central medicine supplier and work with the public-service health fund on direct manufacturer procurement.
- 2016
Expired pharmaceutical products destroyed at Kumusenyi
[1]Approximately 12 tons of expired medicines were burned, prompting environmental and safety criticism.
- 2014
Two storage sheds completed
[1]Additional storage sheds were completed to expand pharmaceutical warehousing capacity.
- 2012
Reported support for 422 clients
[1]CAMEBU was reported to serve 422 hospitals, districts, religious providers and rural pharmacies while facing storage capacity pressure.
- 2000
CAMEBU established by decree
[1]Decree No. 100/035 formally created CAMEBU as Burundi's public central purchasing and distribution institution for medicines and medical supplies.
- 1990
Original storage facility built
[1]The main storage facility was built to hold medicines under suitable temperature and humidity conditions for Burundi's health system.
Products and positioning
A public-sector central medical store positioned as Burundi's national procurement, inventory and distribution backbone for essential medicines and health commodities.
Pharmaceuticals · 2000
Essential generic medicines
CAMEBU procures and imports essential generic medicines for public hospitals, health districts, pharmacies and other approved health providers. These products form the core of its public-service mandate and are intended to improve national availability, affordability and price stability.
Medical supplies · 2000
Medical devices and health-care supplies
The institution supplies medical devices and associated consumables to health facilities. Availability depends on procurement, warehousing, transport and facility demand, and reporting has indicated that public hospitals can still experience shortages or delays when equipment fails.
Laboratory supplies · 2000
Laboratory products and materials
CAMEBU's mandate includes laboratory products and materials used by Burundi's health facilities. These supplies complement its medicine-distribution role and support diagnostic services in hospitals and health districts.
Pharmaceuticals · 2020
Antiretroviral medicines
During the 2020 distribution reform, CAMEBU introduced multi-month distribution of antiretroviral products. The approach was designed to improve continuity of treatment and reduce the frequency with which facilities and patients needed to collect supplies.
Brand decisions
2022
Decentralize supply through an interior distribution centerStrategyBackground
Centralized collection created transport burdens and exposed districts to road-related risks. CAMEBU planned regional supply points to bring products closer to health facilities.
Action taken
A CAMEBU supply center was opened in Gitega.
Aftermath
The opening marked a step toward a more geographically distributed national supply network.
2020
Shift to combined push-and-pull distributionStrategyBackground
The previous system depended largely on health districts requesting and collecting supplies. COVID-19 increased the need for reliable, proactive delivery and multi-month dispensing.
Action taken
With USAID assistance, CAMEBU piloted active push distribution in 11 districts alongside the existing pull model, including multi-month antiretroviral deliveries.
Aftermath
After three rounds the approach was expanded to all 48 health districts, and direct delivery to districts was introduced progressively.
2019
Adopt a central-supplier and direct-procurement modelStrategyBackground
The government sought to reduce medicine procurement delays, improve prices and limit dependence on private suppliers when CAMEBU stocks were unavailable.
Action taken
Authorities announced that CAMEBU would become Burundi's only central supplier and would collaborate with the Mutuelle de la Fonction publique to import medicines directly from manufacturers.
Aftermath
The policy reinforced CAMEBU's strategic position, but later reporting continued to describe shortages and delays in public hospitals.
Recent events
- 2024
CAMEBU named among public enterprises with unpaid dividends[1]
Other
The Minister of Finance told the Senate that CAMEBU was among public and mixed enterprises that had not paid dividends to the state. The available report did not provide a dividend amount or establish a specific violation.
- 2022
Gitega CAMEBU supply center opened[1]
Product launch
The Minister of Public Health opened a CAMEBU center in Gitega as part of a plan to establish supply points inside Burundi and improve regional access to medicines.
- 2020
CAMEBU began moving toward active push distribution[1]
Product launch
With USAID support, CAMEBU introduced a distribution model combining facility orders with proactive deliveries. The reform was piloted in 11 districts during the COVID-19 period and included multi-month antiretroviral distribution.
- 2020
CAMEBU announced direct delivery to health districts[1]
Other
The Ministry of Public Health announced that CAMEBU would begin delivering medicines to districts, reducing the need for facilities to collect supplies and bear transport-related risks.
- 2019
Government announced a stronger central-supplier role for CAMEBU[1]
Other
The government said CAMEBU would become Burundi's only central medicine supplier and would work with the Mutuelle de la Fonction publique to import products directly from manufacturers.
- 2016
CAMEBU destroyed approximately 12 tons of expired medicines[1]
Regulation · Other
Expired pharmaceutical products were burned at Kumusenyi. The disposal operation drew complaints about smoke and odor and criticism from an academic who considered open-air low-temperature burning unsafe. CAMEBU said the site had been selected after concerns that disposal near an urban dump could pollute Lake Tanganyika.
- 2014
Additional pharmaceutical storage capacity completed[1]
Other
Two new drug-storage sheds were reported completed as CAMEBU expanded capacity. Coverage also highlighted the consequences of shortages and the role of private suppliers when CAMEBU could not provide medicines.
- 2012
CAMEBU reported to be serving 422 health-sector clients[1]
Other
CAMEBU was reported to support hospitals, health districts, religious health networks and rural pharmacies. Its storage infrastructure included multiple warehouses, temperature-controlled rooms and a flammable-products store.
Sources1 sources
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