Abstract

Mapping Malaria Product Availability during Seasonal Changes in Zambia
Track: Health and Human Services
Authors: Jeremy Sikazwe, Andrew Inglis

The Ministry of Health of Zambia faces a serious challenge in the distribution of health commodities to facilities during the rainy season. First, some facilities are cut off from the main distribution routes. Second, malaria is seasonal, and more medicines are needed during the rainy season. A mitigation strategy to avert stock outs of commodities is to adjust calculations for resupply, based on when and how long these facilities are cut off, and considering rates of consumption at different times of year. ArcGIS tools were used to analyze logistics data gathered over two years to determine: which facilities are affected, when facilities are affected, when stock outs were experienced, and what consumption looks like at different times of the year. This analysis was used to develop recommendations for calculating resupply. Counties with similar challenges can identify such temporal/spatial patterns of cut off facilities and visually demonstrate this to decision makers.