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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that has become a global pandemic. COVID-19 is spreading in Africa, and Zimbabwe has not been spared. The cases in Zimbabwe are mainly from imported cases due to high volume of travellers from the COVID-19 hotspots. In Zimbabwe, local transmission is also anticipated due to inter- and intracity travelling. Frontline health workers are at risk of infection due to contact with infected people as they discharge their duties. In this setting, the risk to community pharmacists and pharmacy personnel is poorly understood and characterised. This paper looked at the risks of infection that are peculiar to community pharmacy personnel and suggested some recommendations to reduce the risk to COVID-19 infection.

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The realization of a downward spiralling of diseases in developing countries requires them to become self-sufficient in pharmaceutical products. One of the ways to meet this need is by boosting the local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and embracing enabling technologies. Both 3D printing and continuous flow chemistry are being exploited rapidly and they are opening huge avenues of possibilities in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries due to their well-documented benefits. The main barrier to entry for the continuous flow chemistry technique in low-income settings is the cost of set-up and maintenance through purchasing of spare flow reactors. This review article discusses the technical considerations for the convergence of state-of-the-art technologies, 3D printing and continuous flow chemistry for pharmaceutical manufacturing applications in developing countries. An overview of the 3D printing technique and its application in fabrication of continuous flow components and systems is provided. Finally, quality considerations for satisfying regulatory requirements for the approval of 3D printed equipment are underscored. An in-depth understanding of the interrelated aspects in the implementation of these technologies is crucial for the realization of sustainable, good quality chemical reactionware.

Sustainable Development Goal 9 encourages building resilient infrastructure, fostering innovation, and promoting sustainable infrastructure by significantly increasing the number of researchers. Using Zimbabwe as a typical developing country, we analyzed ten continental, five regional, five national, and 32 sectoral science policies on their commitment to increasing the number of researchers. Our results showed that while the African Union urged member states to increase their number of researchers, the Southern African Development Community and most government departments in Zimbabwe largely ignored this recommendation. Interestingly, the national science, technology, and innovation policies in Zimbabwe have adopted the African Union guidelines. Our results suggest a lack of coordination between government departments in Zimbabwe. We propose a policy framework for increasing the number of researchers that fosters multilevel and multisectoral policy coordination, provides a link between policymakers and researchers, and promotes regional integration.

While the national lockdown has presented many challenges for both pharmacy education and pharmacy practice in Zimbabwe, pharmacy educators and policymakers have risen to the occasion, and their response has advanced the profession. This editorial describes the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on pharmacy education and the pharmacy workforce and highlights some of the pragmatic responses and an outlook for the future of pharmacy in Zimbabwe.

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