Former President of the Tunisian Union of Community Pharmacists, Naoufel Amira, stated that the Ministers of Social Affairs and Health could have taken a series of measures to prevent the current medicine shortage crisis and safeguard members of the third-party payment system with the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM).
Speaking to Midi Express on Thursday, January 15, 2026, Amira explained that the President of the Republic, during a meeting with key health sector stakeholders, reached a solution he described as a “truce”, emphasizing the need for coordinated mobilization of all parties to save the health system.
He recalled that reliance on temporary solutions benefiting social funds has continued for over a decade, which has had negative effects on the private sector, particularly due to issues related to retirement schemes.
Amira called on the Ministers of Health and Social Affairs to fully assume their responsibilities, especially by separating retirement schemes from healthcare coverage schemes, to reduce overlapping responsibilities and prevent worsening crises.
He also stressed that the current “truce” phase must be accompanied by concrete measures to reassure all health sector actors, including contributions from the National Pension and Social Welfare Fund and the National Social Security Fund to the CNAM.
Amira warned that the health sector risks paralysis without funding and announced that the Order of Pharmacists will hold meetings with professional bodies to draft a “white paper” containing reform proposals.
The white paper is expected to be published soon under the guidance of the President of the Republic, aiming for the implementation of its recommendations.
A meeting was held on Wednesday between the President of the Republic, Mustapha Ferjani (Minister of Health), Issam Lahmar (Minister of Social Affairs), Amel Fattoum (CEO of the Central Pharmacy of Tunisia), Rim Ghachem Attia (President of the National Medical Council), Soumaya Miled (Director General of the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products), Mustapha Laroussi (President of the National Order of Pharmacists), and Mohamed Zoubeir Guiga (President of the Tunisian Union of Private Pharmacy Owners).
During the meeting, the President gave instructions to quickly achieve solutions expected by the Tunisian people, both in terms of social coverage and the creation of a strategic medicine stock, in addition to improving health services across all regions of the country.
