Cold chain in Humanitarian Aid – delivery of vaccines to patients in a relief situation.
MBA 30, Global Supply Chain Management, Individual Assignment
Cold chain in Humanitarian Aid – delivery of vaccines to patients in a relief situation.
Meningitis campaign from Médecins Sans Frontières in South Sudan
Student Numbers: 53283
Maastricht, 24th January 2014
Contents
1. Introduction / situation analyse
1.1. Increased supply chain in humanitarian aid
Scott (2010) points out that donors in humanitarian aid ask for more value for money in relief operations and that the market expenditure has increased dramatically in the last ten years. Humanitarian funding to the developing world has increased from 2’000 million US$ in 2001 to almost 10’000 million US$ in 2008. The supply chains play the most important role because operation expenditure contains around 80% of supply chain management and is the highest cost.
1.2. MSF in South Sudan
During my field mission in 2007 with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Switzerland I supported a meningitis campaign in South Sudan and was involved with its cold chain. MSF has been operating in Sudan since the middle of the nineties. As member from the coordination team in Juba, I would like to analyse this case from an academic point of view.
1.3. Meningitis belt
Meningococcal meningitis is an infection of the thin membranes surrounding the brain. Death can follow within hours of the onset of symptoms. It occurs worldwide, but the main stream of infections and deaths are in Africa, particularly across the “meningitis belt”, an east-west geographical strip from Ethiopia to Senegal (MSF, 2014).
1.4. Supply chain management
The material for a meningitis vaccination contains usually the vaccines, non-medical material and only a very limited material which purchased locally (food for staff, fuel etc.). The meningitis vaccines need to be ordered through the World Health Organization (WHO). The non-medical material is often delivered in special kits supported by MSF Logistique. Even though that MSF
Cold chain in Humanitarian Aid – delivery of vaccines to patients in a relief situation.
Meningitis campaign from Médecins Sans Frontières in South Sudan
Student Numbers: 53283
Maastricht, 24th January 2014
Contents
1. Introduction / situation analyse
1.1. Increased supply chain in humanitarian aid
Scott (2010) points out that donors in humanitarian aid ask for more value for money in relief operations and that the market expenditure has increased dramatically in the last ten years. Humanitarian funding to the developing world has increased from 2’000 million US$ in 2001 to almost 10’000 million US$ in 2008. The supply chains play the most important role because operation expenditure contains around 80% of supply chain management and is the highest cost.
1.2. MSF in South Sudan
During my field mission in 2007 with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Switzerland I supported a meningitis campaign in South Sudan and was involved with its cold chain. MSF has been operating in Sudan since the middle of the nineties. As member from the coordination team in Juba, I would like to analyse this case from an academic point of view.
1.3. Meningitis belt
Meningococcal meningitis is an infection of the thin membranes surrounding the brain. Death can follow within hours of the onset of symptoms. It occurs worldwide, but the main stream of infections and deaths are in Africa, particularly across the “meningitis belt”, an east-west geographical strip from Ethiopia to Senegal (MSF, 2014).
1.4. Supply chain management
The material for a meningitis vaccination contains usually the vaccines, non-medical material and only a very limited material which purchased locally (food for staff, fuel etc.). The meningitis vaccines need to be ordered through the World Health Organization (WHO). The non-medical material is often delivered in special kits supported by MSF Logistique. Even though that MSF
Bibliography: Doctors without borders. (2014, 01 22). Delivering Aid. Retrieved from http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/alert/article.cfm?id=6408&cat=alert-article Medicins sans Frontieres Medicos sin Fronteras. (2011, 06). Cold Chain Management. Retrieved from http://www.mindmeister.com/generic_files/get_file/2307640?filetype=attachment_file MSF MSF Logistique. (2014, 01 26). MSF Logistique . Retrieved from www.msflogistique.org/ MSF Supply Scott, K. S. (2010). (Le)agility in humanitarian aid (NGO) supply chains. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 8/9, pp. 623-635. World Health Organisation. (2004). Mid Level Management Course for EPI Managers. Retrieved from Module 8: "Cold Chain Management": http://www.afro.who.int/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=6567 World Health Organisation