Situation

With a growing population and ever-increasing demand for health services in Nigeria, a strong warehouse infrastructure is needed to ensure proper storage and distribution of medical products to patients in need.

Akesis Health Nigeria has worked closely with several State governments throughout Nigeria to upgrade and manage government-owned warehouses in close collaboration with local stakeholders, facilitating a strong public health product supply chain and sustainable access to medicines solutions in Nigeria.

Solution

Working in collaboration with government stakeholders in key states throughout Nigeria, Akesis Health Nigeria’s warehouse modernization approach is focused on creating sustainable solutions via human and institutional capacity development and infrastructure improvements.

Warehouse innovations introduced include:

• Introduced LMIS tools and an Electronic Inventory Management tool, MSupply, to enable more accurate stock control and forecasting

• Encouraged integration of storage and inventory management of all health commodities for all  programs for improved efficiency

• Established State-led Logistics Technical Working Groups (LTWGs) for governance purposes

• Designed and implemented the Coordination of the National Integrated Sample Referral Network (NISRN)

• Introduced ePOD for real-time delivery feedback during last-mile delivery (LMD) to sample delivery point (SDP)

Results

18 warehouses were upgraded to pharma-grade status in 15 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria. States include: Anambra, Benue, Cross-River, Delta, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Sokoto, and Taraba, including FCT.

Highlighted past successes include:

GHAIN Project, Nigeria (2004-2011): Akesis Health Nigeria (under the former Axios Foundation) conducted extensive training of state and health facility level staff in supply chain and commodity management, developed plans, and managed contractors to upgrade and equip state government warehouses, and provided technical assistance at all levels of the health system including at national and state levels, tertiary and secondary hospitals, and primary health centers.

National AIDS Control Agency (NACA) (2013 – 2016): Akesis Health Nigeria (under the former Axios Foundation) designed and implemented the structural upgrade of 8 state Central Medical Stores (Edo, Delta, Imo, Benue, Sokoto, Taraba, Kwara, and Ondo) which substantially improved integrated health commodities storage and inventory control efficiency and effectiveness.