On World TB Day, the Partnership for Supply Chain Management (PFSCM) recognizes the significant strides in the global fight against tuberculosis (TB).
Despite remarkable progress, TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, demanding innovative solutions and resilient health systems. PFSCM is proud to contribute to this progress by ensuring that advanced TB diagnostic tools reach the communities that need them most. Since 2020, we have delivered over 13.2 million TB diagnostic products across 94 countries, strengthening supply chains, enhancing diagnostic capacity, and supporting health systems in identifying TB more effectively.
Ensuring quality compliance in TB diagnostics
PFSCM ensures the quality and reliability of TB diagnostics by upholding the highest regulatory standards. Since 2020, we have delivered over 13.2 million TB diagnostic products across 94 countries, applying a rigorous quality assurance process aligned with WHO guidelines and national regulations.
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With over 7,000 TB product shipments successfully delivered since 2020, including temperature-sensitive TB diagnostic products, we work closely with suppliers and in-country stakeholders to maintain product integrity and navigate regulatory and logistical challenges.
Our extensive planning and expertise in managing complex cold chain requirements help minimize delays and disruptions, ensuring that TB programs remain fully operational. Our strategic approach to quality extends beyond compliance. By collaborating with 155 suppliers and procuring more than $653 million in medical products, we help expand access to innovative TB diagnostics, including molecular testing solutions and artificial intelligence or AI-powered imaging technologies. These advancements transform TB detection and treatment, particularly in high-burden and hard-to-reach areas.
At PFSCM, quality is not just about meeting standards—it is about strengthening health systems and improving patient outcomes. By maintaining a strong focus on quality and reliability, we ensure that TB programs have the tools to make a lasting impact in the fight against TB. PFSCM manages a diverse portfolio of TB diagnostic products, ensuring that healthcare providers have access to quality TB diagnostics. Since 2020, we have delivered 11,674,585 TB products.
Our robust QA&R processes, combined with a proactive risk management approach, have resulted in a consistently low incidence of product quality issues. By working closely with trusted suppliers and leveraging best practices in regulatory compliance, we safeguard the reliability of TB diagnostics at every stage. Extensive planning is at the core of our approach—particularly for cold chain transport, where maintaining product integrity is critical. Our teams anticipate potential challenges, coordinate with in-country stakeholders, and implement stringent monitoring protocols to prevent disruptions. This comprehensive strategy ensures that TB programs receive safe, effective, and compliant products exactly when and where they are needed, strengthening global TB response efforts.
Strengthening supply chains for safe delivery
Sustainable and resilient supply chains are essential for delivering TB diagnostic tools where they are most needed. PFSCM has a proven track record in managing the complexities of transporting sensitive products—from cold chain reagents to hazardous materials—with minimal disruptions. Our logistics teams collaborate with local authorities to navigate importation processes, secure tax waivers, and ensure timely delivery, even in challenging environments.
- Load optimization initiative ensures timely delivery of critical TB products to Nigeria
- Supporting Nigeria with the rollout of more than 120 analyzers for TB detection
Scaling sustainable solutions for diagnostics
PFSCM’s role in facilitating medical imaging equipment has become increasingly vital, with countries reporting a staggering 130% increase in spending on imaging tools from 2023 to 2024. This surge reflects the growing prioritization of advanced diagnostics, such as portable X-rays and Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) systems, to strengthen TB screening efforts.
Managing such large-scale, complex requisitions, including significant orders from countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Mozambique, has highlighted the importance of a project-based approach. By involving a dedicated projects team, PFSCM ensures coordination across site readiness, supplier alignment, logistics, and in-country training. Additionally, the organization’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its efforts to minimize disruptions, optimize resources, and collaborate with local stakeholders to align long-term equipment maintenance and usage with health system needs.
Tailored solutions for TB programs
Every TB program faces unique challenges. PFSCM works closely with clients on TB-focused health initiatives to design customized procurement and delivery strategies. By understanding specific program needs, we ensure that TB diagnostic tools are context-appropriate, accessible, and ready for immediate use. This tailored approach strengthens national and regional TB control efforts.
The logistics of delivering critical TB diagnostics—especially temperature-sensitive products—require meticulous planning and real-time coordination. Certain countries face unique challenges, including infrastructure and temperature-controlled warehousing limitations, as well as regulatory hurdles. However, as a 4PL service provider, PFSCM’s expertise ensures that these challenges are met with tailored strategies, including:
“PFSCM’s ability to handle complex, high-risk logistics challenges sets us apart. We manage the entire supply chain—from procurement to final delivery—ensuring the reliable and timely arrival of diagnostic products, regardless of the obstacles.”
– Ishmael Muchemenyi, 4PL Services Director PFSCM
PFSCM’s tailored approach to TB diagnostics goes beyond procurement—we work closely with local and international suppliers to ensure the successful implementation of diagnostic solutions. In large-scale projects, such as the nationwide rollout of advanced TB testing equipment in Nigeria, PFSCM not only facilitated procurement but also coordinated installation, training, and long-term maintenance.
By leveraging local supplier partnerships, we enable sustainable, country-led diagnostic solutions. These partners play a critical role in deploying TB diagnostic tools efficiently, providing hands-on training for healthcare workers, and ensuring ongoing maintenance support. PFSCM negotiates comprehensive service agreements, including warranties, to guarantee the longevity and reliability of these essential diagnostic tools. This strategic collaboration strengthens national TB programs by embedding expertise and support within local health systems, ensuring that diagnostics remain accessible, functional, and impactful.
Leveraging AI and CAD technologies for early detection
In the past, TB testing was a labor-intensive and manual process. Healthcare workers relied on traditional methods, such as sputum smear microscopy and culture techniques, often involving multiple steps and various reagents to culture samples. This approach required significant time and expertise, making it challenging to provide swift diagnosis, especially in remote settings. Also, the manual nature of these tests often led to delays in identifying positive cases, increasing the risk of transmission within communities.
AI is transforming TB diagnostics by improving accuracy, speed, and accessibility. CAD and AI leverage advanced algorithms to analyze chest X-rays with high sensitivity and specificity, detecting subtle abnormalities that human radiologists may miss. These AI-powered tools are instrumental in bringing reliable diagnostics to underserved regions.
AI’s impact goes beyond imaging. It facilitates drug resistance profiling, enabling healthcare providers to tailor the most effective treatments for individual patients while addressing the growing challenge of drug-resistant TB strains, though clinical validation remains essential. Also, AI-powered surveillance systems process large datasets to help predict potential outbreaks and monitor the spread of TB, helping public health officials respond more effectively. These systems enhance public health responses by integrating geospatial mapping and epidemiological modeling, improving early detection and intervention efforts.
Looking ahead, integrating AI diagnostic devices could revolutionize TB detection, allowing real-time diagnoses even in remote areas. These innovations promise to not only accelerate treatment but also support more personalized care, marking a significant leap toward ending TB as a global health threat.
- PFSCM delivered over 80 mobile and portable X-ray systems to Pakistan, each paired with CAD software to enhance TB detection.
- AI-powered tools improve diagnostic accuracy and speed, crucial for underserved regions.
- PFSCM’s partnerships with 3PLs ensure timely, disruption-free delivery, even across difficult terrain.
Addressing drug-resistant TB with advanced diagnostics
The rise of multidrug-resistant TB is a critical global health challenge. PFSCM, with its extensive expertise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), responds by supplying advanced molecular diagnostic tools designed to detect drug-resistant TB strains. By identifying resistance patterns early, these tools allow healthcare providers to implement targeted treatment strategies, improving patient outcomes and helping curb the spread of resistant TB. PFSCM’s deep understanding of AMR ensures we deliver the most effective solutions to this growing threat.
Adapting to evolving diagnostic technologies
Today, the landscape of TB testing has dramatically transformed with the introduction of advanced technologies. Modern testing solutions utilize single cartridges that contain all necessary reagents in one compact unit, allowing for rapid testing and results. This innovation facilitates quicker interventions and leads to improved patient outcomes. These advanced tests can detect drug-resistant strains of TB, which is essential for effective outbreak management and control.
Further, these advanced tests can detect drug-resistant strains of TB, which is essential for effective outbreak management and control. Chest X-rays remain an important component of TB diagnostics. They are often one of the first steps in screening for TB, as they can reveal lung abnormalities indicative of infection.
While X-rays may not definitively determine whether the infection is active or latent or identify specific strains, they provide valuable insights into the extent of the disease. Integrating imaging with other diagnostic methods enhances the overall diagnostic process. Molecular tests, including those that use polymerase chain reaction technology, add another layer of precision to TB diagnosis. These tests identify the genetic material of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, enabling rapid detection of active infections and assessment of drug resistance. By combining the strengths of X-ray imaging and molecular testing, healthcare providers can take a holistic approach to TB management, ensuring timely interventions and improved patient outcomes.
Innovations like stool-based testing for pediatric TB offer a more accessible and accurate diagnosis for vulnerable populations. PFSCM proactively incorporates these advancements into our catalogs and supply chain, ensuring that health programs have access to the latest and most effective TB diagnostic tools.
PFSCM provides a full spectrum of TB diagnostic tools, combining advanced technologies like molecular testing with traditional methods such as microscopy and culture testing for reliable and comprehensive diagnostics.
Building strategic partnerships for sustainable impact
Global progress against TB requires collective action. PFSCM, marking 20 years of impact in 2025, has supported TB programs since 2009 and, even before that, contributed to the fight against the disease. Over the years, we’ve built strong collaborations with manufacturers, governments, and global health organizations to strengthen diagnostic capacity and expand access to lifesaving tools. These strategic partnerships have enhanced the reach and effectiveness of TB control programs, supporting global health security and driving long-term impact.
At PFSCM, we follow an evidence-based approach to TB testing, engaging with industry trends to remain at the forefront of advancements in the field. We participate in conferences and maintain strong partnerships with suppliers to stay informed about the latest developments. Additionally, we adhere to guidelines from the WHO and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which guide us in implementing diagnostics effectively across various settings. The unique aspects of modern TB products, such as their portability and efficiency, also enhance access to critical healthcare in low-resource environments. The ability to conduct simultaneous testing for multiple strains—including those resistant to first-line treatments—sets these products apart. By integrating various diagnostic tools and approaches, we can address TB more comprehensively, ensuring that all aspects of the disease are managed effectively in different countries and communities.
On this World TB Day, PFSCM reaffirms its commitment to advancing TB diagnostic tools and strengthening health systems worldwide. Through innovation, quality assurance, and resilient supply chains, we are helping to accelerate progress toward a world free of TB.
Please get in touch with PFSCM at pfscm@pfscm.org to learn how we can support your TB programs with supply chain, procurement, and 4PL services.