Publications

A functional health product supply chain system is the backbone of quality healthcare services. The phenomenonnot only guarantees the delivery of appropriate health products to the end-users, but it also ensures thathealth system planners receive critical information on the need, demand, and consumption of products,thus, contributing to better service delivery. Unfortunately, difficulty with medicine or vaccine selection,procurement, distribution, inventory management and storage infrastructure form critical components of some ofthe challenges that mostly result in stock-outs of essential medicines in Nigeria. In this study, challenges relatingto medicines or vaccines stockouts were identified; as well as those relating to poor data management of medicinesand vaccines supply. Furthermore, financial constraints, poor information management and inadequate humanresources were identified as parts of the challenges confronting the supply chains for medicines in thecountry. By and large, this study serves as a wake-up call to policymakers and regulators on the need toprioritise the critical sector of the supply chain system for medicines and vaccines in Nigeria. There is aneed for effective strengthening of the system through adequate budgetary provision.