Global Health Supply Chain Program – Technical Assistance: Year 5 Quarter 3, Quarterly Report

The program provides technical assistance directly to the Affordable Medicines Directorate (AMD) of the National Department of Health (NDoH), as well as to the pharmaceutical services (PS) directorates of the provincial departments of health. GHSC-TA focuses on six key objectives: improving the selection and use of medicines, supporting the optimization of the supply chain, strengthening governance, improving workforce management, strengthening information systems and information management, and improving financial management. The program's activities and achievements in Year 5, Quarter 3, are outlined in this report. One of the key achievements of GHSC-TA is the improvement in medicine availability. The overall percentage of medicine availability in Year 5 is 85%, with a significant increase in the availability of antiretroviral medicines. The program has also made progress in strengthening the supply chain, with a 95% on-time delivery rate for antiretroviral units and a 90% on-time delivery rate for other medicines. GHSC-TA has also made significant progress in strengthening governance, with the establishment of a National Surveillance Center (NSC) to monitor medicine availability and stock levels. The program has also supported the development of a Master Medicine Data System (MMDS) to improve the management of medicine stock levels. In addition, GHSC-TA has made progress in improving workforce management, with the development of a training program for healthcare workers on the use of medicine information systems. The program has also supported the development of a stock visibility system to improve the management of medicine stock levels. The program has also supported the government of South Africa in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines. The program has also supported the development of a national surveillance system to monitor the spread of COVID-19. Overall, GHSC-TA has made significant progress in strengthening public health systems and supply chains in South Africa, and has contributed to the achievement of universal health coverage. The program's activities and achievements in Year 5, Quarter 3, demonstrate its commitment to improving medicine availability and strengthening the supply chain in South Africa. The program's key performance indicators (KPIs) for Year 5, Quarter 3, include: * 85% overall medicine availability * 95% on-time delivery rate for antiretroviral units * 90% on-time delivery rate for other medicines * 95% of users utilizing the NSC to review medicine availability trends and reports * 90% of health establishments and warehouses with configured minimum and maximum (min-max) stock levels for stocked medicines being reported to the NSC These KPIs demonstrate the program's progress in improving medicine availability and strengthening the supply chain in South Africa.