Transaid has been working as part of a large project to improve the availability of essential medicines across Uganda.
The project, better known as the SURE project (Securing Ugandans’ Right to Essential Medicines), focuses on improving drug supply chains from the national procurement level right down to local distributors and vendors. Transaid was asked to look at the distribution of medical supplies by the government owned National Medical Stores (NMS) and the Joint Medical Stores (JMS) operated by the private sector.
At JMS, customers based more than 50 miles from the centre have to collect their own goods directly. Transaid looked at how JMS could contract a third party logistics provider to make the process of drug distribution more efficient and ensure that drugs reach their final destination in good time. Following an assessment of what already exists, Transaid shared its findings and made recommendations on training and next steps required to manage external providers effectively.
At NMS, Transaid carried out a review of its in-house transport operations and compared this to an earlier study conducted in 2008. NMS were looking to contract external providers to manage the drug distribution process to compliment and improve the speed and efficiency of essential medicines distribution. To assist, Transaid researched the availability of third party logistics providers and their capability to distribute medical supplies to a satisfactory level across the whole country. Transaid produced a report which advised on the contracting of external logistics providers, how they could manage their own internal transport more effectively, and also provided a detailed implementation action plan.
If implemented, the recommendations in this report (as part of the overall project), will help contribute to improved drug supply chain processes across Uganda to ensure that essential medicines are distributed faster and more efficiently to better serve the health and wellbeing of the population.
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