Optimizing commodity delivery to remote health facilities and the communities they serve

Abstract

The Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency (EPSA) is responsible for supply chain management of public health commodities in Ethiopia. The agency has 19 branch warehouses that serve more than 3,800 health facilities that in turn serve 105 million people in nine regional states and two administrative states. EPSA is responsible for commodity distribution across 1.1 million km square (425,000 square miles). Some communities are difficult to reach due to their remoteness or lack of roads or other necessary access to deliver health commodities. (See Figure 1.) Understanding the levels and gaps of coverage in EPSA’s branch network is essential for EPSA and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to improve access to essential health commodities for the people of Ethiopia.