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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Claudia Allers, Yasmin Chandani, Moses Muwonge, Steve Wilbur, and Barbara Felling. Deliver Project, John Snow, Inc., 1616 N. Fort Myer Drive, 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209, 703-528-7474, ebroekhuysen@jsi.com

The supply chain consists of a sequence of functions necessary to deliver an uninterrupted supply of the right quality and quantity of ARVs and other commodities for effective provision of ART. To develop an effective supply chain for ART, policy makers must develop the right policies to guide the expansion of ART services and ARV drug delivery. This paper focuses on the policy environment from a supply chain perspective, and highlights issues to consider in making practical and applicable recommendations to program managers and policy makers.

The policies and considerations are drawn from supply chain work in new and expanding national HIV/AIDS programs in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In these programs, a significant gap existed between the proposed ART treatment targets and the capacity of health and supply chain systems to deliver the commodities. This paper highlights issues that were confronted by these countries, and provides guidance on how to develop policies to strengthen supply chain management for ARV drugs to ensure continuous product availability, maximize resources, and expand ART programs.

The 30 key issues and considerations were grouped by the following functional areas including product selection, quantification, LMIS, inventory management, procurement, financing, customer service, and cross-cutting. How policy makers can understand the dilemmas that may arise in the decision making process are also addressed.

As countries scale-up ART services, program managers should use the key considerations identified as a checklist for implementation related to supply chain management and improving availability of ARV drugs.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to

• Recognize the policy environment from a supply chain perspective and issues to consider in making recommendations to program managers and policy makers.
• Identify key issues and considerations in addressing and implementing ARV drug supply chains.
• Recommend how program managers should use the key considerations identified as a checklist for implementation related to supply chain management and improving availability of ARV drugs.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Treatment

Related Web page: www.deliver.jsi.com

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No