Health care focus creates medical logistics opportunities

A greater focus on health
care by governments
in Africa is creating
opportunities for
companies specialising
in the transport, storage
and delivery of medicines,
which are often time- and
temperature-sensitive.
According to Olabode
Olajumoke, employee
benefits actuary at Aon
Hewitt South Africa,
countries such as Nigeria
and Kenya have already
introduced national
health care insurance
programmes – and this
will increase the demand
for drugs.
At present Gauteng
is used as a distribution
hub by organisations
such as the non-profit
Affordable Medicines
for Africa (AMFA)
Foundation, which works
with commercial airlines,
courier companies and
private distribution
partners in order to deliver
medicines throughout the
continent.
Others are learning from
existing systems.
In Tanzania, Coca-Cola
is helping the government
to deliver anti-retrovirals
to rural areas.
The government’s
Medical Stores Department
is using Coca-Cola’s
delivery maps and
distribution partners in
nine of the country’s
regions in a public-private
partnership.
This also creates
opportunities – and threats
for port operators and
companies working out of
those ports.
One freight forwarder
FTW met in Zimbabwe
had lost a contract because
his client decided to route
through Dar es Salaam
rather than have to live
with delays and customs
hassles in Durban.