Assessment of the Neglected Tropical Diseases Pharmaceutical Management System in Senegal
Assessment of the Neglected Tropical Diseases Pharmaceutical Management System in Senegal
Supply chain constraints plague current neglected tropical disease (NTD) prevention and treatment programs. The rapid expansion of NTD control activities has not been without pharmaceutical and health system challenges. Inadequate NTD drug management in many countries has resulted in excess stocks, leading to waste resulting from drug expiry or stock-outs, leading to treatment interruption. The MSH-led Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program received funding from USAID to support the Senegal Ministry of Health (MoH) in strengthening the systems for NTD pharmaceutical management. The purpose of the technical assistance was to undertake a rapid assessment of the NTD pharmaceutical management system and understand the integration efforts. Technical review and recommendations were provided by SIAPS personnel based in the SIAPS West Africa Offices and the office in Arlington, Virginia. SIAPS held meetings with the MoH NTD focal points and supply chain managers to ensure efficient delivery of technical support to the NTD programs, cross-fertilization, sharing of lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations, and to ensure that the implemented interventions are of the highest technical quality that focuses on country objectives.