Logistics Management and Information System

Uninterrupted supply of antiretroviral drugs and diagnostics for the treatment and testing of HIV/AIDS patients is a prerequisite and a challenge for antiretroviral therapy programmes. Given the increasing number of people on treatment, supply chains need to expand – this can only be sustained if people managing supply chains are fully accountable for their actions.

It is important to design an effective and sustainable supply chain system for drugs and other commodities, which can be complex. A correctly run distribution system should keep drugs in good condition, rationalize drug storage points, use transport as efficiently as possible, reduce theft and fraud, and provide information for forecasting needs. This requires good management of the system, along with a simple but well-designed information system.