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PEPFAR Helps Ensure Access to Lifesaving Medicines and Products
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Kigali, Rwanda│November 2007
The prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS depend on a reliable and continuous supply of medical supplies and lifesaving drugs. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Rwanda has helped establish a coordinated procurement and distribution system that has saved lives by ensuring that essential medicines and care are readily available.
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In Rwanda, the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS), PEPFAR’s implementing partner, is working to improve the organizational and technical capacity of the national pharmaceutical procurement agency, CAMERWA.
SCMS has been an important partner in Rwanda to help CAMERWA navigate the complexities of procuring and distributing pharmaceuticals and other commodities for our HIV/AIDS programs,” explained Ambassador Zephyr Mutanguha, Director General of CAMERWA. “By working together, we are learning by doing.”
CAMERWA is responsible for forecasting the needs of health facilities throughout Rwanda and procuring, storing and distributing medicines and supplies, including antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), laboratory materials and testing kits.
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The central warehouse for the national pharmaceutical procurement agency in Rwanda, CAMERWA, lacked sufficient shelving for lifesaving drugs and supplies.
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PEPFAR, through SCMS, works with CAMERWA to improve its technical and organizational capacity. With PEPFAR support, CAMERWA installed new shelving for essential medicines and products in its central warehouse.
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The number of people receiving ARVs in Rwanda has increased from around four thousand in 2004 to nearly 45,000 today – a testament to the success of the partnership between PEPFAR and Rwanda in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This growth has strained the capacity of CAMERWA, thus underlining the importance of the consistent delivery of lifesaving supplies to support the rapid scale up of HIV/AIDS services.
SCMS and CAMERWA are creating an innovative system to decentralize and deliver commodities from the central warehouse in Kigali to district pharmacies. Strengthening CAMERWA’s capacity is critical for the system’s sustainability.
We work side-by-side with CAMERWA to enhance its procurement, distribution, warehouse management and management information,” commented the Lead Resident Advisor for SCMS Rwanda, Caroline Healey. “By empowering CAMERWA and developing sustainable supply chains, we are helping to build effective health care systems.”
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Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:13:20 -0500
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