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Storage

Health products are stored in various storage points along the national supply chain: they are usually stored in the national Central Medical Store (CMS) [1] after reception in-country, before being distributed to intermediate stores (regional and district stores), and then to health facilities where they are dispensed to patients. Health products for use in clinical laboratories may be managed through a dedicated national supply chain system due to temperature requirements and limited shelf-life of many reagents and consumables. Sometimes health products may even be delivered to the community level through community health workers or through non-government organisations (NGOs).

Considering the number of public health facilities storing health products in a country, it is beyond UNDP’s reach to guarantee good storage practices in all health facilities of a country. However, when working through the Ministry of Health supply chain (Central Medical Stores CMS, regional/district stores, health facilities), UNDP, as a development partner, should support the MoH in achieving the standards for good storage practices. This can be achieved through technical assistance and financial support, to the extent allowed by budget availability.

Using funds available under the Global Fund grant(s), UNDP COs can support activities that will help government and/or non-governmental organisations to achieve standards for GSP (e.g., QA and GSP training; procurement of temperature recording devices; procurement and installation of cooling units; etc). These activities should be primarily implemented at central level, and then cascaded down the supply chain to the extent the budget allows. GF grant funds may not be used to support system strengthening of private sector facilities.

[1] The term “Central Medical Stores” (CMS) describes the national warehouse system that is mandated by the government to manage health products. The CMS is, generally, responsible for the procurement, storage, and distribution of pharmaceutical products and other health products such as HIV- and malaria- rapid diagnostic test kits, condoms, lubricants, and laboratory reagents to public sector institutions, including teaching hospitals, clinical laboratories, and other not-for-profit private Institutions.

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