By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
Bauchi – The USAID Global Health Supply Chain procurement and supply Management (GHSC-PSM) says it is partnering the Bauchi State Government to achieve uninterrupted supply of drugs in health facilities across the state.
Mr Kenny Ottoh, the Deputy Country Director of GHSC-PSM, stated this at the launch of the programme in Bauchi.
He explained that the partnership programme was to improve the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) governance and management in the state.
“The partnership will improve integration of the supply chain strategy across disease areas, help achieve uninterrupted delivery of commodities, improve data-driven decision-making, and improve visibility of supply chain data.
“Provide technical assistance in strategy and planning, forecasting and supply planning, quality assurance, warehousing and inventory management, transportation and distribution.
“Management information systems, governance and financing, and monitoring and evaluation, support the scale-up of maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS programmes in the state,” he said.
Ottoh noted that the programme wass launched in Bauchi state because it has good indicators and strong commitment.
“Bauchi state is doing well on malaria and Family Planning, but there are concerns with regard data from malaria commodities as it does not correspond with the number of cases reported,’’ he said.
He however called for a proper monitoring framework before the programme would expand its focus to Maternal Neonatal health.
He said the DRF project would support the state in strengthening the existing systems towards a sustainable drug revolving fund that will ensure adequate supply of essential medicines.
He added that the programme is to be implemented through the State Drug management and Medical Consumables Agency (DMMA).
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Zuwaira Hassan, said that DRF is key in the drug supply to health facilities especially at the primary healthcare level.
“Bauchi state currently has DRF in all its 27 secondary health and 133 primary health facilities, but there is need for expansion to cover the entire facilities in the state,” she said.
Hassan said the project will help improve maternal and neonatal healthcare and accelerate the achievement of universal health coverage by the state.
The commissioner assured that the state would provide enabling environment for the success of the project and other development partners operating in the state.
Earlier, the Managing Director, Drugs Management and Medical Consumables Agency, Mr Abdulkadir Ahmed, said the programme would strengthen not only DRF but also address the problem of out-of-stock of medical consumables at all levels of health facilities in the state.