Management of Medicines for Emergency Obstetric Conditions in Rwanda

In early fall 2012, the SIAPS Program completed a rapid assessment in Rwanda in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to determine the availability of and management of medicines and commodities for emergency obstetric conditions such as post-partum hemorrhage and hypertension from pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.

The assessment was done in 61 health facilities from 10 districts in Rwanda. The date collectors interviewed storekeepers and personnel in charge of delivery suite and observed practices.

Some of the key findings included:

  • Disparity between the national essential medicines list (NEML) and standard guidelines on obstetric and newborn care (SONU)
  • No standard procedure to estimate needs at the district level
  • Challenges in maintaining cold chain storage conditions
  • Availability of maternal health medicines at HCs
  • Good inventory management and stock-outs limited

Read more about the findings and assessment conclusions here [PDF-722KB].

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