Efficient supply chain management is vital for the timely delivery of essential medical commodities, such as vaccines, medications, and medical equipment. To ensure this, the adoption of global traceability standards is crucial in preventing the circulation of counterfeit or substandard drugs. It is in line with this that the EAC RCE-VIHSCM successfully conducted its second short course on the Global Standards for Traceability of Health Products and Technologies (GSTHPTs) for healthcare professionals from EAC Partner States. The event took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from October 7-11, 2024.
This highly anticipated course was facilitated by experts from the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) global and Rwanda offices, the GS1 Regional Office, UNICEF Supply Division, and experts from the EAC. It provided participants with in-depth training on traceability in healthcare.
According to GS1, a global standards organisation, healthcare traceability enables the tracking of prescription drugs and medical devices across the supply chain. This tracking can be done both backward—to trace the history of a product from its manufacture, and forward to follow its intended route to the point of care. By improving the ability to trace products, healthcare systems can reduce the risk of counterfeit drugs, enhance patient safety, and ensure regulatory compliance.
Ms. Abuk Biar Lueth Biar, a pharmacist from South Sudan, shared her expectations, “I wanted the course to include more practical topics to enhance my knowledge, especially since not all GSTHPTs have been implemented in South Sudan. I personally enjoyed the field visit, where I learned a lot about store management and traceability systems. I now take back valuable knowledge on data management, policy, regulation, and procedures that will be crucial for South Sudan’s healthcare system.”
Mr. Deodatus Leocard Nkambi, a Vertical Programs Pharmacist at Tanzania’s Medical Stores Department (MSD), expressed his satisfaction with the course: “This training not only met but exceeded my expectations. Firstly, the learning environment was conducive, and the facilitators were highly skilled and engaging. Also, learning about GS1 standards for tracing commodities, provided me with new skills in tracing commodities like ARVs, family planning, and anti-malaria products using GTIN and serial numbers, which will improve our accuracy in tracking procured medicines,” he stated.
The GSTHPTs course is one of the several courses that the Centre has been offering since 2023 aimed at advancing health supply chain management in the EAC region.
Trainees proudly display their certificates after the Global Standard for Traceability of Health Products & Technologies (GSTHPTs) Training
