Health supply chain system in Uganda: current issues, structure, performance, and implications for systems strengthening

Abstract

Background The health supply chain system is essential for the optimum performance of the healthcare system. Despite increased investments in the health supply chain system, access to quality Essential Medicines and Health Supplies remain a big challenge in Uganda. This article discusses the structure, performance, and challenges of the health supply chain system in Uganda. It provides reflections and implications for ongoing interventions for system strengthening. Discussions The findings highlight several issues and challenges affecting the health supply chain system from functioning optimally across all levels of the health system. The challenges identified include an ineffective structure to support planning, coordination and management, inadequate funding, shortage of skilled staff, weak regulatory and governance structures at national and sub-national levels, and slow adoption and use of Electronic Logistics Information Systems to support supply chain processes and functions. Overcoming these challenges will require greater investments to improve policy development and implementation, infrastructure, equipment and support systems, knowledge and skills of supply chain personnel, increased funding and improving governance and accountability.

E-logistic Practices and Health Care Supply Chain Management for Public Referral Hospitals in Uganda

“…The area of study is in Uganda and the staff, procurement, and logistic managers of six regional referral hospitals (Jinja, Kiruddu, Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and Arua), were the respondents in this study. Purposive sampling was used in order to obtain data from informed respondents who were knowledgeable about the subject matter and in most cases are few in numbers compared to their clients and other fields in Uganda (Luganda et al, 2022). This makes choice of purposive sampling technique the most effective and efficient in this study.…”

“…Various studies have been conducted on health care supply chain management (Wu, Zha & Yu, 2022;Huang, Chan & Chung, 2022;Luganda et al, 2022;Kagoya & Mkwizu, 2019). Additionally, other scholars argued on development linkages in the health sector in an effort to build more literature in understanding health care supply chain management (Pananond, 2022).…”

“…African countries face challenges in health care supply chain management (Luganda et al, 2022;Baccedil & Erkan, 2021). One of the challenges identified by Pule (2014) is poor logistic and procurement procedures.…”

“…One of the challenges identified by Pule (2014) is poor logistic and procurement procedures. Luganda et al (2022) found that the challenges in Uganda's health supply chain system include ineffective structure to assist functions of planning, coordinating and managing but also a shortage of funds and skilled staff, and slow adoption of elogistics information systems. Luganda and others (2022) proposed for more investment in areas such as policies and infrastructure.…”

“…In addition, Benzidia et al (2016) cited that logistics culture is not adequately addressed in the strategic vision of hospitals, while Luganda et al (2022) mentioned challenges like elogistics and the need for more research in health care supply chain management, which motivated this research study. to examine e-logistics operations and health care supply chain management in the context of Uganda's public referral hospitals.…”