During the annual quantification workshop in Mali, the national quantification committee estimates the quantity of a health product needed to meet supply needs across the country. Quantification is a critical tool for guaranteeing access to essential medicines and achieving global health goals.
When the first cases of coronavirus appeared, the Government of Mali (GoM) took action to prevent the spread of the disease that could have negatively impacted quantification activities and resulted in challenges meeting demand for health commodities.
With technical and financial support from the USAID Global Health Supply Chain-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project, the Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicines (DPM), along with other supply chain actors, identified this threat to the continuity of the health supply chain and found another way to maintain quantification activities while being compliant with the GoM’s COVID-19 prevention regulations.
To keep the number of participants under the maximum of 50 allowed, the four technical working groups (TWG) for HIV/AIDS, malaria, family planning/reproductive health and maternal, newborn and child health selected ten representatives each to attend. Before the event, through multiple consultations and conference calls, each of the TWGs conducted weeks of advance work and data review to prepare their representatives.
On June 15, 2020 the directors of the DPM, Programme National du Lutte contre le Paludisme (PNLP) and GHSC-PSM launched the national quantification workshop following all necessary COVID-19 precautions, including social distancing. Participants received two masks every day, and disinfectant gel, soap and water were available to promote hand washing. After the opening ceremony, break-out group ‘presidents’ were chosen to monitor compliance with COVID-19 social distancing measures.
As a result of these efforts, HIV/AIDS, malaria, family planning, and maternal and child health products were successfully quantified to meet the demands of Malian citizens for another year.
