Myanmar Ministry of Health:Reducing fragmentation in supply chain management

Dr Maung Maung Than HtikeDeputy DirectorInternational Health DivisionMyanmar MOH

Agenda:Background and challengesApproach and visionProgress to dateNext steps

Background and challenges• Myanmar faced long standing sanctions• Ministry of Health budgets increase exponentially• Insufficient data and information to ensure higher

budgets are used to greatest effect• Very little systems automation, infrastructure is old and

requires significant investment and many outdated SOPs• National distribution system and procurement system

unable to cope with exponential growth in commodity procurement• Increasing numbers of donors and highly fragmented

vertical programs, all with their own physical supply chains

Current major supply chains in the Myanmar health system

Approach• International Health Division; focal point for all

international support to MOH

• MOH developed decentralization strategy to overcome information and infrastructure constraints. This devolved budgets and procurement to lower levels

• MOH signed an MOU with the Supply Chain Management System in 2013 for technical assistance to develop strategic level coordination and collaboration

• MOH established a National Supply Chain Task Force to coordinate the activities of all partners and programs

Progress to date• First National Supply Chain Workshop in November 2013

attended by 137 MOH, donor and development partners established a vision of a single national supply chain• National Supply Chain Baseline Assessment in March

2014 qualified the state of national supply chains• Procurement options analysis in May 2014 carried out by

SCMS and World Bank made recommendations for refining decentralized procurement• Second National Supply Chain Workshop in August 2014

developed a draft National Supply Chain Strategy• MOH is committed to developing a national supply chain

master plan to harmonize systems and reduce complexity

Next steps

• MOH is starting a consultation process to finalize the National Supply Chain Strategy and then develop detailed implementation plans with costs• MOH will continue to refine the decentralized

procurement approach with the objective of ensuring the lowest level facilities in the system have the medicines and commodities they need• MOH will work with vertical programs and development

partners to reduce fragmentation, harmonize and develop programs, especially towards achieving to goal of becoming the Global Fund Principal Recipient

Thank you for your attention