Institutionalizing the Integration and Coordination of Service Provision

SCMS is funded as part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The system aims to address the challenges of pharmaceutical management and meet the health requirements of Ethiopia's population. In the Oromia Region, SCMS provides technical and financial contributions to the regional health bureau-led Essential Pharmaceutical Security Pharmacy Technical Working Groups and Review Meetings. These meetings facilitate discussion and deliberation on problems and agree upon solutions to improve service provision and access to care. Arsi and Horo Guduru zones have faced challenges in the pharmaceutical supply chain, including parallel supply chains, double-orders, overstock, and wastages of pharmaceutical commodities. In Arsi Zone, a parallel supply chain from the Public Fund and Social Affairs (PFSA) and the Zonal Health Department caused double-orders, overstock, and wastages of pharmaceutical commodities. The Oromia Regional Health Bureau decided to increase its Prevention of Mother to Child Treatment (PMTCT) service by doubling the number of health facilities providing PMTCT and ART services in all zones in the region. This scale-up effort compounded the existing challenge. The Zonal Health Department requested SCMS provide technical and financial support for a Zonal Logistics Review Meeting to iron out the problems in the supply chain. A joint action plan was developed and agreed upon, and following the review meeting, PFSA increased the direct delivery of products to 81 percent of the total number of health facilities, and ART and PMTCT sites' door-to-door distribution rose from 69 percent to 95 percent. In Horo Guduru Zone, a shortage of trained staff inhibited the zone's ability to implement its duties accordingly. SCMS provided financial and technical support for the Horo Guduru Zone to conduct a sub-regional review meeting to assess the gaps in the supply chain management system. The Essential Pharmaceuticals Security Technical Working Groups and Review Meetings, which take place across Ethiopia, are important avenues for different stakeholders to gather, coordinate activities, identify challenges, and agree upon solutions. The examples of Arsi and Horo Guduru zones in Oromia demonstrate the important role SCMS-supported meetings have in improving service provision and access to care throughout Ethiopia.