Bringing Critical Supplies to Liberia During the Ebola Epidemic

Situation

The Western African Ebola virus epidemic (2013-2016) was the most widespread outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history, causing major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In Liberia alone, nearly 5,000 people died. Akesis Health US was tasked with establishing and managing an urgently needed warehouse in Monrovia, Liberia, for critical DELIVER commodities.

Solution 

With a tight timeline, an urgent public health crisis, and limited funding, Akesis Health US began to troubleshoot and innovate to meet requirements set forth by the government of Liberia.

Private sector space was identified and rapidly equipped at the lowest possible cost while ensuring facilities were set up to be fully pharma-compliant. Akesis Health US installed mSupply software linked to its central warehouse management and control system in Abuja, Nigeria, to help minimize management and overhead costs. A remote management system was also established to enable day-to-day remote supervision of warehouse operations by senior management in Abuja.

Results

Akesis Health US facilitated infrastructure improvements and the management of not only one but two warehouses in Liberia at the height of the Ebola epidemic.

In 2016, when the USAID GHSC-PSM project succeeded DELIVER, PSM contracted Akesis Health US to continue management of both warehouses until 2017, when Liberia’s National Drug Service warehouse was established.