i+solutions, The Global Fund’s largest Procurement Services Agent for their Pooled Procurement Mechanism, has successfully handed over a consolidated shipment of HIV treatments from three different suppliers to WHO Syria.
In a world increasingly affected by conflict, disasters and economic crises, it is critical that the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria is not forgotten. Unfortunately, this can be very challenging in conflict areas such as Syria and available resources are directed towards maintaining basic health care provision. Currently, 13.1 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, including close to 3 million people trapped in besieged and hard-to-reach areas. HIV shipments such as these are therefore so critical in ensuring as many HIV patients as possible can remain on treatment.
This was the first time i+solutions has delivered health commodities to Syria without utilizing a UN Emergency responder. Instead, i+solutions utilized one of its standard strategic logistics partners, Logenix to coordinate the shipment and customs clearance. Logenix collected the 4 different types of HIV treatment from three Indian pharmaceutical producers: Macleods, Strides and Hetero and airlifted the cargo from India to Beirut. From the Lebanese capital, the shipment continued by road to the Jdaydet Yabous border with Syria, where the exchange with the consignee took place. WHO Syria will transport the medicines to the central warehouse in Damascus and then further distribute the treatments downstream to the local health facilities.
It was not just i+solutions and Logenix that were critical to the successful delivery, our main contact at WHO Syria, Mr. Ghazwan Abou Al-Shamat played a critical role, ensuring that the recipient was prepared to receive the shipment without delay or disruption.
We thank our Supply Chain Specialist David Partridge, Logenix, WHO Syria and all others involved for making this happen and creating impact by improving and saving lives of HIV patients in Syria
