Duration: Dec. 2022 – Dec. 2024

Country: Burundi

Main Donor:

Embassy of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands/UNFPA

Other donors involved:

USAID, The Global Fund, Gavi, Unicef

Key partner:

ABREMA, Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS (MSPLS)

Introduction and goals of the project

In Burundi, the availability of health products depends on a comprehensive supply and distribution process from the supranational level to the national and operational levels, including health districts, hospitals, and health centres. Evaluations of the pharmaceutical supply chain have identified challenges such as demand estimation, product storage, and data inconsistencies. The Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS (MSPLS) aims to strengthen the information system using information technology.

The overarching goal of the project is to enhance the visibility of logistics data and information at different levels of the supply chain to ensure a consistent availability of pharmaceutical products in health facilities across Burundi. This is realized by implementing the electronic logistics management information system (eLMIS) Medexis at all 1100 health facilities in the country.

Approach and solution:

The project deploys the Medexis system across all levels of the health system, including public, faith-based, associative, and community health structures, ready to revolutionize health product management. Medexis manages several critical processes like periodic ordering of health products, order processing, (re)distribution, dispensation, inventory management and reporting.

The rollout involves development of the Medexis tool, followed by extensive training and mentoring of users at all levels. Additionally, health structures are equipped with the necessary IT tools and internet access to ensure seamless integration and real-time data visibility.

Approach and Results:

• Establishment of a robust governance structure, including a Technical Committee and a Steering Committee, to align the development of Medexis with the Ministry of Health’s recommendations.
• The first phase of Medexis development has been successfully concluded, resulting in a validated eLMIS ready for national deployment.
• A team of national-level administrators and 20 national trainers have been trained and certified.

Expected Impact:

The next deployment phase starting in 2024 will cover the central level of the Ministry of Health, the intermediary level across 18 provinces, the operational level in 49 districts, and 1100 health facilities, where a total of 2272 users will be trained in the use of Medexis. Health workers will have access to i+academy for training materials and resources on supply chain management. This comprehensive training and support will enhance supply chain management, reduce expiration, overstock, and stockout rates, and ultimately improve healthcare outcomes for the population of Burundi.