The Health Logistics Press, A Ministry of Health Publication, Issue #13, April 2012

The meeting aimed to determine the feasibility of cross-country collaboration in developing an eLMIS system, establishing a Logistics Management Unit (LMU) for Tanzania, and defining roles and responsibilities for moving forward. The meeting was supported by the USG-funded USAID | DELIVER PROJECT and consisted of a team from Tanzania and a team from Washington. Zambia has successfully implemented a LMU, which sits at Medical Stores Limited (MSL), and has achieved unprecedented reporting rates for monthly logistics data and product orders. The LMU plays a pivotal role in the success of in-country logistics systems and overall supply chain decision making. In light of Zambia's success, the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare wanted to learn what it would take to establish a LMU in its country. The Tanzanian delegation visited the LMU in Zambia and was taken through their processes and shown how the Supply Chain Manager and the MACS warehouse management system work. Both countries agreed to work together in developing the eLMIS, which will leverage both human and financial resources. In Zambia, the eLMIS will replace the current computerized LMIS (Supply Chain Manager) with improvements such as streamlined processes and increased access to data. The eLMIS will also permit mobile phone technology and internet for data and information sharing. This collaboration is important as it will avoid duplication of efforts and produce stronger, more robust systems by accommodating both shared and country-specific requirements. The installation of prefabricated storage units known as "Storage in a Box" at the Kafue and Gwembe District Health Offices has allowed the two districts to overcome challenges of severe storage constraints. The storage units are air-conditioned, have appropriate levels of shelving and pallet space to keep products off the floor and are secure. The MoH and SCMS are evaluating the effectiveness of the two "Storage in the Box" solutions with the hope of providing more than six additional units this year. The Ministry of Health has successfully completed an evaluation of the National ART Laboratory Logistics System. The evaluation involved 50 sites selected from all nine provinces in Zambia and aimed to identify the successes and continued challenges in the system and to find ways to strengthen the structure. The findings of the evaluation indicated that 100% of the sites visited maintained and used stock control cards to monitor commodity usage, 95% of sites have functional refrigerators, and 93% of sites store commodities at appropriate temperatures. Additionally, 98% of facilities were stocked according to plan with CD4 reagents on the day of the visit. Dr. Nyambe Sinyange, the Nyimba District Medical Officer, has taken a proactive approach to improving the availability of HIV tests at all testing facilities in the district. He personally visits the 17 facilities despite harsh weather and travel conditions, and supports facilities requiring transport of reports. Dr. Sinyange's commitment and hard work have greatly contributed to the district achieving 100% reporting rates.