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Where We Work  |  Program

Supply Chain Professionalization

VillageReach believes a high-performing public health supply chain requires a professionalized workforce.

Sep 21, 2023   |   News

Africa: How To Stop the Health Worker Brain Drain in Africa?

This year the World Health Organization added 37 African countries to a list of nations at risk of facing worsening health worker shortages due to “brain drain” – a well-documented phenomenon of health workers emigrating to work in high-income countries like the U.S., Canada and Europe.

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Sep 20, 2023   |   News

Africa: How To Stop the Health Worker Brain Drain in Africa? Invest in People and Innovations

This year the World Health Organization added 37 African countries to a list of nations at risk of facing worsening health worker shortages due to “brain drain” – a well-documented phenomenon of health workers emigrating to work in high-income countries like the U.S., Canada and Europe.

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Aug 10, 2023   |   News

Saving Lives by Building Skills and Capacity in Healthcare Supply Chains

Poor supply chains in low to middle income countries are the reason that one third of the world’s population lacks access to medicines, Dr Andrew Brown of USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program told delegates at the 2023 SAPICS Conference in Cape...

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Jul 31, 2023   |   Blog Post

The CHA Kit: Ensuring Liberia’s Community Health Workers Have the Commodities They Need

There is a Liberian adage that says, “Water can’t pass by a hole.” Unfortunately, in providing Community health workers (CHWs) the essential medicines and health commodities they need to do their jobs, we still encounter many systemic “holes”. The “water” can’t pass by, and...

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Jul 25, 2023   |   Podcast

Olivier Defawe and Tiwonge Mkandawire on “Supply Chain Now” Podcast

Supply chain management is a crucial aspect of saving lives, as it ensures the efficient flow of essential goods and services. Nowhere is this more evident and more evolving than on the continent of Africa. In this first episode of a three-part series, Olivier...

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Jul 10, 2023   |   Blog Post

Dans la quête de l’amélioration du système de transport des échantillons polio en République Démocratique du Congo

Read English version here. Une fois que des cas suspects de poliomyélite sont identifiés dans la communauté, qui se présente par une paralysie brusque des bras ou des jambes, une course contre la montre commence. Emmanuel Amuri est Chef d’Agence de LOGISTIQUExpress, une agence...

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Jul 7, 2023   |   Blog Post

Flying with Innovation - The Case for Drones at SAPICS 2023

To get health products to people when and where they need them, sometimes we need to think outside of the box. It might be better to even say we need to fly outside the box through innovation, particularly through the use of drones. Integrating...

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Jun 29, 2023   |   News

Health a priority at SAPICS 2023

For the first time this year’s SAPICS conference featured a public health supply chain track, offering development agencies, donor organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) the chance to discuss strategies to reach Agenda 2030 and universal health coverage with private sector supply chain partners.

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Jun 20, 2023   |   Blog Post

The quest to improve polio specimen transport in the Democratic Republic of Congo

See French version here.  Once suspected cases of poliomyelitis, which presents as sudden paralysis of the arms or legs, are identified in the community, a race against time begins. Emmanuel Amuri is Head of Branch at LOGISTIQUExpress, a company specializing in the transport of...

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Jun 16, 2023   |   News

Professionalisation centre stage at SAPICS

Workforce development touted as one of the keys to unlocking access to medicines “A third of countries don’t have access to medicines and one reason is the lack of supply chain professionals,” said Management Science for Health’s Andrew Brown as he opened the session Getting...

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Jun 12, 2023   |   Blog Post

Forging new partnerships to reorient health systems to primary health care in Africa

As Dr Tedros, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), and world leaders gathered in Geneva this May for the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA), the imperative remained to ensure that countries strengthen health care systems, deliver on the commitments of Sustainable Development Goal...

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May 5, 2023   |   Blog Post

A New Digital Solution to Support Liberia’s Community Health Workers

I looked over the edge of the bridge and then back to my team. Looking at the faces of my colleagues, it was clear they would prefer to turn back. Who could blame them? We had been traveling for hours through rough rainforest terrain...

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Apr 27, 2023   |   Blog Post

A Journey for Self-Reliance: The Calling of a Pharmacist

Prior to finding his calling as a pharmacist, Lloyd Matowe wanted to become a doctor. He had the privilege of enrolling at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare for its medical program, but after several courses realized that being a doctor was not something...

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Mar 30, 2023   |   Blog Post

Responsive Primary Health Care Takes Center Stage at AHAIC 2023

“What could the future of African health care look like?” Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, Acting Director of the Africa CDC, asked during the opening plenary of the African Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) 2023, “Re-envisioning the future now – it is not easy to...

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Mar 15, 2023   |   News

COVID accelerating investments reshaping health supply chains

The pandemic disrupted supply chains around the world. In its wake, health leaders are doubling down on efforts to make their supply chains more resilient, sustainable, responsive, and equitable.

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Background

VillageReach builds public health supply chains to be equitable, people-centered, resilient and sustainable. Managing a high-performing supply chain with these attributes requires a professional supply chain workforce.

We define this professionalization as the standardization and institutionalization of national supply chain roles, competencies and training and certification requirements. The ultimate goal of our supply chain professionalization efforts are to create a sustainable pipeline of locally, adequately trained supply chain professionals

Supply chain professionalization requires government stewardship and multisectoral partnership in order to strengthen a country’s supply chain and ensure consistent access to quality health care.

People inspecting drone in field.

Resources

Fact Sheet  |  2023

Building a Pipeline of Supply Chain Professionals through Education: Malawi

Fact Sheet  |  2023

Girls on the Move Program Factsheet

Presentation  |  2023

Getting Started with Supply Chain Professionalization Video Presentation

Fact Sheet  |  2022

Getting Started with Supply Chain Professionalization Graphic

Fact Sheet  |  2022

Supply Chain Professionalization

Fact Sheet  |  2021

Professionalizing the Supply Chain Workforce

Partners

Government

  • DRC Ministry of Health
  • Mozambique Ministry of Health
  • Malawi Ministry of Health
  • Liberia Ministry of Health

Donors

  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Related Global Impact

See the latest updates from our work to improve access to quality healthcare in the world’s most underserved communities.

Outsourced Transport Resource Center

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Last Mile Supply Chain (LMSC)

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Nouvelle Génération des Chaînes d’Approvisionnement (NGCA)

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Supply Chain Investment Coordination and Advocacy (SCICA)

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