GHSC-TA is training staff to perform accurate demand planning that can be used to inform procurement activities and support supplier relationship management. By developing new processes and governance structures for governance structures for NDOH, GHSC-TA is rolling out a set of interventions to improve demand planning for antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), tuberculosis (TB) treatment, vaccines, and other essential medicines.
There are several reasons why the clinic mentioned at the beginning of the story may not have had the ARVs in stock. Perhaps they had ordered less than they needed to have in stock because of inaccurate projections of demand. More accurate demand planning at the provincial level could help eliminate this issue. Or, perhaps the supplier did not fulfill the facility’s order that month because of a missed payment at the depot level. In that case, an accurately generated budget from the NDOH can be used to track actual performance and ensure improved supplier payments, leading to improved product availability. The key is an accurate forecast.
The best part of GHSC-TA’s demand planning activities is that it has built the capacity of the NDOH to produce accurate demand planning GHSC-TA When Inaccurate Data Can Be Life Threatening Improving Demand Planning at the National Level forecasts on its own. Not only does this increase the capacity of the NDOH, but it also improves the sustainability of the process.
Provincial pharmacies and other public health care facilities now have an improved projection of which medicines they should keep in stock and at what levels. With support from the NDOH’s more accurate demand planning forecasts, these providers can shift their orders to more accurately reflect the necessary stock levels. So, the next time the mother makes the long journey to pick up her medicines, the facility should be able to provide the necessary treatment without issue.
