With a population of 39,032,000,[1] Uganda is a high disease burden country. Malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB, and respiratory and diarrheal diseases are the leading causes of illness and death. The HIV/AIDS prevalence is 7.3%, and the TB prevalence is 253 cases per 100,000 population with an average incidence of 234 cases per 100,000.[2] The following activities were implemented in Uganda under SIAPS.
Project Highlights
A pharmacist dispensing antimalarial commodities at a health center in Uganda. [Click to enlarge]Data were collected on a quarterly basis for the procurement planning and monitoring report for malaria medicines.
National TB Control Program (NTP) staff was trained through a SIAPS-developed five-day course curriculum for pharmaceutical management for TB and programmatic management of drug-resistant TB.
Technical assistance was provided for implementing QuanTB and an early warning system. QuanTB is now updated bimonthly, and the results are used to track TB medicine stock, plan shipments accordingly, and take actions to avoid stock-outs and wastages.
The SIAPS maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) core collaborated with the Concept Foundation and WHO to conduct a workshop in Uganda on the optimal procurement of maternal health commodities.
SIAPS supported effective quantification systems that make it easier to accurately estimate short-term procurement requirements and assist in-country stakeholders in planning and soliciting medium- to long-term financial requirements for medicines and other health technologies.
Forecasting and supply planning coordination committees were established, with specific terms of reference, across health programs to create more streamlined, horizontal, and reliable quantification systems.
Financial flows for MNCH medicines assessments in the public sector were mapped.
SIAPS trained nine NTP staff in TB pharmaceutical management; NTP drug management staff and partners were trained on QuanTB.
Staff from the MoH, WHO, and implementing NGO representatives from Uganda attended a regional workshop on supply chain management.
Results
Health workers loading pharmaceutical products on a truck for delivery. [Click to enlarge]Data collected on the stock status of malaria medicines were shared with USAID|DELIVER for collation and sharing with the USAID/PMI team to guide procurement decisions. QuanTB is being used in country at the national level, and results from the financial flows mapping have been shared with stakeholders and USAID.
Project Legacy
Results from the financial flows assessment for MNCH medicines have been shared with the public sector, donors, and implementing partners and may be used by stakeholders to implement strategies to resolve the complex financial processes and other bottlenecks to facilitating the adequate and timely procurement of MNCH commodities, thereby improving the availability of those commodities in the absence of increased funding.
