Overall, 2020 was a demanding, but productive year for The Partnership for Supply Chain Management (PFSCM).
It is fair to say the COVID-19 pandemic affected us all. Overnight we had to adapt our working environment and processes to ensure the safety of our staff, as well as the service continuity of lifesaving deliveries of HIV, malaria and TB health care products to low- and middle-income countries.
While dealing with the effects of worldwide lockdowns, we started planning for the procurement and distribution of COVID-19 diagnostic products, which were then just starting to be developed. So far we have procured $80 million worth of COVID-19 diagnostics, and delivered 219 shipments to 78 countries.
As we enter the new year, we know that supply chains will remain strained. The global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, and imminent lockdowns motivated by new emerging strains of the virus, will most likely put pressure on already limited air and ocean cargo options for cold chain, and frozen shipments.
The global health supply chain, and health logistics sectors have put COVID-19 at the forefront of almost every industry discussion and forum. To some extent we have adapted to the “new normal”, but the reality is that there is still a lot we do not know, and still many uncertainties for supply chain practitioners.
Among all the things we do not know, there is one thing that we are certain of. We must do our utmost to ensure service continuity of HIV, malaria, TB and other health programs. At PFSCM, we have invested in recent years to improve the resilience of our supply chain so that we can deliver faster and more reliably using existing resources.
Meanwhile, we have used the COVID-19 challenges to strengthen our operations, increase our digital engagement with our partners, and expand our product portfolio.
We would like to thank our staff, clients, suppliers, and 3PLs for their unwavering commitment during these tough times. Through increased coordination, and improved collaboration we have delivered on our service promises.
In the first three quarters of 2020, PFSCM has transacted more than $282 million worth of orders, and delivered 1,140 lifesaving shipments of medical devices such as diagnostic products used in HIV, TB and malaria testing to 83 countries.
We could not have done this without our dedicated staff and partners.
