The Partnership for Supply Chain Management (PFSCM) and logistics services provider Scan Global Logistics successfully redesigned a key cold chain transport route for molecular, microbiology, and genomic sequencing reagents bound for Mozambique from overseas, thereby shortening lead times, reducing costs, and maintaining product integrity through enhanced planning and coordination.
PFSCM and Scan Global Logistics transitioned from its traditional routing model—air-freight to Johannesburg in South Africa, followed by refrigerated trucking to Mozambique—to a more direct air route via Doha, Qatar.
PFSCM Senior Logistics Specialist Christian Marchisio explains that historically, Johannesburg served as the preferred entry point for reagents from overseas due to its established cold chain infrastructure, whereas Maputo lacks comparable refrigerated storage facilities.
He says reagents are normally transported from Johannesburg onward by dedicated climate-controlled trucks and adds that while reliable, this approach adds transit time and additional trucking costs.
In late 2025, PFSCM and Scan Global Logistics piloted an alternative solution using innovative self-recharging cooling packs alongside guaranteed pharma handling procedures through Doha.
Scan Global Logistics’ Tobias Udsen elaborates on what the solution entails.
“By working exclusively with Qatar Airways, which enforces a strict 48-hour pharmaceutical transit rule in Doha, shipments are kept moving rapidly through re-icing and controlled storage processes at the airport.
“Specialized cooling packs provide an additional safeguard, maintaining required temperatures upstream and even during the last leg in-country.”
Further, Marchisio stresses that the revised model requires significantly increased coordination among stakeholders, including the receiving client in-country, to ensure all milestones in the shortened transport plan are met in a timely manner to prevent any delays.
“Shipments are carefully scheduled to arrive in Maputo between Monday and Wednesday, allowing for pre-clearance procedures and customs approval within 24 hours to protect cold chain integrity.”
Meanwhile, Marchisio and Udsen agree that the efforts have been rewarding.
By eliminating dedicated refrigerated trucking from Johannesburg, more than $12,000 was saved across seven shipments in 2025 alone. At the same time, reagents reached Mozambique faster than under previous routing options via South Africa or other regional hubs.
“This initiative demonstrates the importance of leveraging strategic partnerships, innovative cooling technologies, and meticulous planning to strengthen supply chains and deliver cost-effective solutions to resource-limited settings,” concludes Marchisio.
*As of February 2025, flights via Doha have been temporarily suspended. PFSCM will presume this service route in due course.
