As the world faces the challenges of tuberculosis (TB), it is crucial to have effective supply chain services that ensure quality and affordable health products for screening and treatment are available when and where needed.
The Partnership for Supply Chain Management (PFSCM) plays an essential role in supporting health programs with procurement, supply chain, and health logistics services to reduce the burden of epidemics like HIV, malaria, and TB in low- and middle-income countries.
For over a decade, PFSCM has been supplying quality-assured TB products to various health programs globally.
Between 2020 and 2023, PFSCM has procured a total of $81.8 million worth of products related to tuberculosis. This includes a wide range of items totaling 596,004 units across 33 different types of TB-related products. In the past three years, we have helped 47 countries gain access to TB-related health products through 275 shipments.
In 2023 alone, PFSCM assisted 33 countries globally worth $37.6 million.
To address the TB burden, global health players have put significant resources towards strengthening health systems, including the scale-up, network support, and optimization of diagnostic services. Laboratory and diagnostic imaging services are a vital component of healthcare delivery, providing tools for the diagnosis, surveillance, and monitoring of TB treatment.
“PFSCM is committed to ensuring that quality-assured TB products and diagnostic services reach those in need. Our vast supplier base and network of specialized 3PL partners enable us to procure and deliver several TB-related diagnostics, including near-patient multi-diagnostic molecular equipment that simultaneously detects both TB and rifampicin-resistance TB in less than two hours, allowing for same-day testing and results delivery.” said Erin Seidner PFSCM’s COO/CFO.
PFSCM’s specialization in TB diagnostics
In the past few years, PFSCM has played a significant role in supporting countries in strengthening their TB-related diagnostic services. One of the ways that PFSCM has contributed to this effort is by improving the sample referral networks by providing standard triple packaging products that enhance the viability of TB pathogens if they are present in the samples during long transportation from hard-to-reach areas.
Standard triple packaging products are a set of materials used to transport biological samples, including those for tuberculosis diagnosis, safely and securely. These products consist of three layers of packaging – primary, secondary, and tertiary – that ensure the samples are protected from damage and contamination during transportation.
In the context of sample referral, the use of standard triple packaging products helps to maintain the integrity of the samples during transportation, thereby reducing the risk of false-negative results. This is especially important for tuberculosis diagnosis, where accuracy is crucial for effective treatment. [1]
Moreover, PFSCM has facilitated access to TB diagnostic services by procuring and delivering various TB-related diagnostics.
Since 2020, the top three most frequently procured TB products, in terms of quantity, are CAD4TB software, and consumables like the Tuberculosis Xpert MTB/RIF ULTRA kit of 50 tests, and Tuberculosis Xpert MTB/RIF kit of 50 tests used on the widely implemented Cepheid GeneXpert systems.
Strengthening TB-related diagnostic services
PFSCM is also working to strengthen and increase access to diagnostic imaging services by procuring portable, mobile, fixed X-rays and CT scanners for several countries like Mozambique, Tanzania, and Pakistan. In addition, PFSCM is working on Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to improve national, regional, and global surveillance capacity for TB and other infectious diseases.
Read more about our:
- installation of CT scanners in Mozambique.
- installation of X-rays in Pakistan.
- installation of TB analyzers in Nigeria.
Importance of investing in TB screening and preventive treatment
Even though TB is a curable disease, it still causes 1.3 million deaths each year and affects millions more, with enormous impacts on families and communities. While global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 75 million lives since the year 2000, it is essential to make crucial public health investments to address the needs of vulnerable populations and achieve the End TB targets.
Accord
ing to the WHO investment report, implementing TB screening plus preventive treatment can substantially reduce TB incidence and mortality. WHO urges investments to scale up tuberculosis screening and preventive treatment. As a procurement services agent and 4PL services provider, PFSCM is committed to playing its part in ensuring that quality-assured TB products and diagnostic services reach those in need.
[1] World Health Organization. (2017). Laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis by sputum microscopy: the handbook. Geneva: World Health Organization.