U.S. Gov’t In Partnership with NMS In Countering Theft of Medicines

Uganda has begun to reap the benefits of its cooperation with the United States in terms of improved transparency in the administration of public medicines and health supplies.

The U.S. government assisted NMS in constructing a robust and contemporary health supply chain system, allowing the government agency to efficiently manage the acquisition, storage, and distribution of medical supplies.

Natalie Brown, the U.S. ambassador to Uganda, asserts that Washington is dedicated to enhancing the procurement, storage, and distribution of health goods by NMS.

Natalie noted that the United States government has devoted substantial resources to establishing and implementing the NMS+ Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) information technology system.

Natalie stated at the launch of the NMS warehouse in Kajjansi in 2022, “This system will increase efficiency in the areas of procurement, warehousing, and distribution, and will offer critical information on NMS’s financial and human resource operations.”

The Ambassador stated, “The ERP system will decrease human error from a paper-based system, allow the NMS to promptly accept orders electronically, guarantee that facilities are adequately supplied with the right commodities at the right time, and assist reduce pilferage.”

According to the Inspector General of the Government, Uganda loses Shs 25 million every day to corruption and immorality, depriving citizens of crucial services such as access to medicine and healthcare.

In addition, the United States is educating local governments and health facilities in Uganda to manage the public health supply chain and ensure the continuing availability of important life-saving medications.

As part of our efforts to digitize the supply chain across the country, we acquired, distributed, and placed 535 computers in 350 Ugandan health facilities over the past year, according to Brown.

The deployment of contemporary technology to combat the theft of pharmaceuticals from public health institutions also necessitates the vigilance of community leaders and residents.

In addition to implementing NMS+, Dr. Ayume asked Parliamentarians and local officials to monitor NMS supply schedules and patient reports, stating that the fundamental cause of theft must be addressed.