Our Experience:
Strengthening Supply Chains in Sudan

Integrated and strengthened commodity supply chains for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).

2014

Situation

The Sudanese government sought to scale up HIV, TB and Malaria services at the national level. Given Sudan’s large size and challenging socio-political environment, substantial investment and support would be required to improve the pharmaceutical logistics system in the country.

Under a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded project in northern Sudan, Akesis worked closely with the government and various stakeholders to strengthen all aspects of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) supported commodity supply chains.

Solution 

Akesis collaborated extensively with the Central Medical Supplies Corporation, the Sudan National Malaria Control Program, the Sudan National AIDS Program, and the Sudan National Tuberculosis Program to strengthen GTATM supply chains and to create an integrated supply chain to serves all disease programs in the Republic of Sudan.

Prior to the inception of this project, Akesis conducted an extensive baseline assessment that looked at the existing inventory control systems, warehousing and distribution infrastructure, HR capacity, and current policies and practices of RUD and Pharmacovigilance.

We learned that the most pressing task was to increase efficiency and minimize the risk of wastage and stock-outs for the storage and deliveries for HIV, Malaria and TB programs. Akesis collaborated with major stakeholders to design an agile supply chain system capable of delivering the right quality products in the right quantity, to the right place, at the right time and at costs suitable to the programs. The new system included updated SOPs for computerization management of stock, forecasting and quantification, and an effective delivery system for commodities.

Akesis also upgraded the manual logistics system that was in place by deploying mSupply—a software capable of generating and transmitting logistics data at all levels and producing routine program reports. In addition, a Technical Working Group was created with local stakeholders to implement these upgraded pharmaceutical supply concepts and methods. Through the establishment of training programs in the national system, Akesis successfully strengthened coordination, supervision and monitoring of the national supply chain activities from Central Medical Supply to the state-level and ultimately to local Service Delivery Points.

Results

Akesis created an integrated supply chain to serve all disease programs in the Republic of Sudan through leveraging existing infrastructure where possible, strengthening the capabilities of local stakeholders including government agencies and organizations, and working alongside Central Medical Supply staff.

The project resulted in an integrated national health commodities supply chain system. The new supply chain reduced overlapping activities and improved the use of resources thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of health commodities available at health service delivery points.