Uganda Strengthening Supply Chain Systems Activity

Uganda Strengthening Supply Chain Systems Activity

Building a Lasting, Responsive System

Purposeful partnerships, strategic digitization, and technical acumen are the hallmarks of the SSCS Activity.

A man smiles as he receives a package.
Uganda’s 10-Year Roadmap for Success

Since implementation of the 10-year National Health Supply Chain Roadmap, launched by the Ugandan government with support from MSH, the country has taken significant steps forward to improve health outcomes for all Ugandans.

A pharmacist working on a computer
Digitization for Improved Care

“Digital health can help improve health service delivery by simplifying procedures, enhancing transparency and accountability, and making available information and services to all stakeholders in an efficient and cost-effective manner.” — Uganda Ministry of Health Representative

Pharmacy staff at Mukono Health Centre in Uganda_ Photo credit MSH-2
Traceability and Accountability

“Supply chain mainstreaming is all about traceability. It’s not just the Ministry of Health’s job; it’s everyone’s responsibility. Medicines can only work if they get to the patient on time.” – Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary, Uganda Ministry of Health

Supply chain workers track inventory in a warehouse. Yumbe-Signalytic System Evaluation Visit
Innovation Leads the Way

Without the necessary physical infrastructure, digital systems quickly become redundant. Through its Innovation Lab, the SSCS team partnered with Signalytic to provide solar-power equipment to generate electricity in areas with little to no connectivity. This way, health care facilities can more reliably link to national health systems and provide better client care.

A Real-Time National Medical Stock Status Dashboard

A live, national medical stock dashboard equips health facilities with knowledge on stock status at the district, regional, and national levels. Digitizing medical stock reports minimizes stock status errors, shrinks comprehensive reporting timelines, and prevents drugs stockouts and overstocks before they happen.

Reducing Medicine Waste Saves Money and Lives

“By using the available data, we were able to move vaccines from facilities that could not use them before their use-by dates to facilities that had high consumption. This led to zero wastage in my district.” – Dr. Godfrey Buyinda, Kibuku, District Health Officer

Overview

The USAID-funded Uganda Strengthening Supply Chain Systems (SSCS) Technical Assistance Activity bolstered Uganda’s efforts to enhance its health supply chain, increasing availability and access to safe, quality-assured medicines and health supplies in public and private nonprofit health facilities. Further accelerating Uganda’s journey to self-reliance, SSCS aimed to fortify Uganda’s health system to more effectively combat infectious and non-communicable diseases and improve health services and outcomes for all Ugandan families and communities.

Following the successful implementation of the Uganda Health Supply Chain (UHSC) and Securing Ugandans’ Right to Essential Medicines (SURE) projects, SSCS built upon nearly two decades of partnership with USAID and the Government of Uganda in advancing the country’s pharmaceutical sector. Under SSCS, MSH helped Uganda improve the performance of key actors throughout the supply chain; promoted transparent governance and effective, data-informed policies and regulations; and developed local capacity to foster self-reliance in managing a world-class supply chain. SSCS also provided technical assistance to all US government partners—USAID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Department of Defense (DOD)—operated at the subnational level and helped to elevate the capacity of central-level institutions and district-based entities, such as health offices, health facilities, and medical stores.

In implementing SSCS, MSH partnered with and cultivated the capacity of two local Ugandan organizations: the Uganda Healthcare Federation (UHF) and Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE). These collaborators gradually took on increased technical and management responsibilities as part of a deliberate strategy to promote local ownership and sustainability.

Webinar Series: Promoting Local Ownership and Sustainability of Uganda’s Supply Chain System through the 10-Year Roadmap

This webinar series highlights the progress and achievements of the Ugandan government’s efforts to modernize and digitize its health supply chain to increase availability and access to safe, quality-assured medicines and health supplies in public and private nonprofit health facilities.

Webinar: Health Workforce Development through the Lens of Sustainable, Locally Led Development

In this webinar, Management Sciences for Health (MSH) discusses country partnerships in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, focusing on how various health workforce interventions are taking a systems-approach to capacity strengthening in order to ensure that improvements last beyond the project cycle and are managed under the ongoing custodianship of local actors.

Digitalization of Uganda’s National Health Supply Chain System

MSH hosted the webinar, Digitalization of Uganda’s National Health Supply Chain System, on August 15, 2024, to share lessons learned and what remains to be done in the digitalization of Uganda’s national health supply chain system.

The USAID Strengthening Supply Chain Systems (SSCS) Activity played a pivotal role in transforming Uganda’s health supply chain. Implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) in collaboration with the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), Uganda Healthcare Federation (UHF), and the Ministry of Health (MoH), the project addressed critical challenges such as stockouts, expired medicines, governance gaps, and low accountability.Through targeted interventions, SSCS improved supply chain performance, strengthened governance, and enhanced local capacity for sustainability. Key achievements between 2020-2025 include the successful implementation of electronic logistics management systems in 1,462 health facilities, improved commodity accountability measures, and the establishment of 14 regional supply chain centers of excellence. The project also facilitated the development of Uganda’s 10-year National Health Supply Chain Roadmap, which led to a 73% increase in health commodity budget allocations between fiscal years 2021-22 and 2024-25. 
Digitalization of Uganda’s National Health Supply Chain System: Panelists from the Uganda Ministry of Health, National Medical Stores, USAID Uganda, and the Global Fund share lessons learned and what remains to be done in the digitalization of Uganda’s national health supply chain system.
Promoting Local Ownership & Sustainability of Uganda’s Supply Chain System through the 10-Yr Roadmap: During this webinar panelists from the Uganda Ministry of Health and the Uganda Office of the Prime Minister discuss the progress of Uganda’s 10-year national health supply chain roadmap after three years of implementation.
In January 2022, the Government of Uganda launched the 10-Year National Health Supply Chain Roadmap. The roadmap aims to ensure the sustainability of development outcomes invested in the health sector over time by development partners. This is supported through targeted improvements towards sustained availability of essential medicines and health supplies to all Ugandans wherever and whenever needed.
To strengthen the country’s health supply chain and improve access to medicines and health commodities, Uganda’s Ministry of Health, in partnership with the USAID Uganda Strengthening Supply Chain Systems Activity and partners, are embarking on digitizing and integrating the entire medicines supply chain to improve end-to-end data visibility.
Despite making great progress, health facilities in Uganda continue to face stock-outs of essential medicines, limiting people’s ability to access quality health services that can save their lives and improve their well-being. To bridge existing gaps in the health supply chain, Uganda’s Ministry of Health with support from the MSH-led, USAID Uganda Strengthening Supply Chain Systems (SSCS) Activity and partners, initiated the Health Supply Chain Solutions Challenge. The Challenge sought proposals for bold ideas for novel, sustainable solutions that improve timely access to and availability of quality essential medicines and health supplies in the country. Winners of the challenge will receive one year of technical and financial support of up to $50,000 USD to pilot and implement their solutions under the newly launched Supply Chain Innovation Lab.

Donors & Partners

Donors

The United States Agency for International Development

Partners

Uganda Healthcare Federation 

Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment