Country Overview

An SCMS regional distribution center (RDC) in Centurion (Gauteng province) supplies essential HIV/AIDS drugs and other commodities to Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In addition a local distribution center has now been established for the distribution of ARVs to the provincial medical depots in South Africa.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world, with 5.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Of this number, about 800,000 people are currently receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) with 30,000 new patients being added each month. The Government of South Africa developed the National Strategic Plan 2007-2011 to reduce the number of new HIV infections by 50% and expand access to appropriate treatment, care and support to 80% of all people diagnosed with HIV. On the World Aids Day on December 2009, the Government of South Africa reaffirmed its new-found commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS in an open, serious and evidence-based manner by announcing key changes which include providing ART to all people co-infected with TB/HIV at CD4-count of 350, providing all infants under 12 months with antiretroviral treatment (AR) and providing pregnant women with CD4 counts above 350 with prevention of mother-to-child treatment from 14 weeks.

SCMS has a strong presence in South Africa with a field office in Pretoria and a regional distribution center (RDC) in Centurion (Gauteng province) which supplies essential HIV/AIDS drugs and other commodities to Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. As these countries scale up their HIV/AIDS programs, the RDC can help to ensure a rapid and reliable supply of essential medicines and other products.

SCMS has recently been assigned by the US Government with the responsibility for providing procurement and technical support to the South African HIV/AIDS program under the US Government bridging assistance of a total of $120 million over the next two fiscal years. The first delivery on this project arrived in  South Africa’s Pharmaceutical Healthcare Distributors Local Distribution Centre in April 2010.

Key Objectives

• Quality ARV availability: Assurance of quality ARV availability throughout the period of the $120 million bridging assistance
• Provision of technical assistance: To provide targeted technical assistance relating to the procurement effort and longer term assistance at the national and provincial levels to strengthen ARV quantification and forecasting
• Share Information: Improve the reporting of information from within provinces and into national reporting systems.
• Build capacity: Improve the capacity and capability of personnel involved in the supply chain management of pharmaceuticals and the improvement of provincial warehouses.
• Procurement and distribution: Identify and pursue opportunities to procure drug commodities to meet scale-up requirements.

Activities and Impact

Value of commodities delivered as of March 2010: Over $17  million 

Procurement: SCMS is procuring ARVs for the South African HIV/AIDS program under the $120 million assistance and to the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) with strict adherence to delivery deadlines.  During 2008/2009, SCMS responded to an emergency ARV request from the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, two emergency ARV requests from the Free State Province, and also responded to ARV inquiries from the Western Cape and Mpumalanga Provinces.

Capacity building: Since May 2008, SCMS has sponsored participants from all South Africa provinces to attend the Warehouse Operations Management (WOM) 4-week course which helps managers develop warehouse planning and management skills.  A total of 36 participants from South Africa have attended the course and given testimony to its practical usefulness. There are plans to conduct follow-up on-the-ground support to WOM course participants and other staff on warehouse operations management, areas of storage, inventory control and distribution at all the provincial medical depots. This support will be linked together with capacity building in quantification and forecasting of the ARV requirements.