“Unlike previous years, we no longer worry about availability of malaria medication at the health center,” Fanny said. ”We hope this consistency continues, as it also eases our burden of travelling longer distances to other facilities just to access treatment, especially during the malaria season.” Vuso Tembo, a pharmacy technician at Blantyre District Hospital, spoke about the significant impact the PSC model has had on patients like Fanny. He stated that PSC has made a key difference by improving the availability of essential medical commodities by eliminating stock-outs, reducing service interruption, and improving distribution planning. Previously, the facilities could go three or four months without receiving supplies, thereby affecting service delivery, as there was no consistent time between receiving one shipment and the next. “We can now plan around the stock we have because we know, for example, that we receive malaria products on a regular interval,” he said.
The GHSC-PSM project, in collaboration with other partners, continues to provide technical assistance to Malawi’s MOH in coordinating the many existing parallel health supply chains through central-level interventions, including forecasting, supply planning, developing the workforce, and augmenting the government’s in-country logistics efforts. The GHSC-PSM parallel supply chain system complements the government-led major supply chain that is run by the central medical stores in Malawi; the scope of the PSC includes procurement, warehousing, and distribution of U.S. Government–donated commodities. In-country logistics are supported by a 3PL provider to improve commodity security.
