At the reception of the drugs this week
Although unintended, it was a reminder of the kind of pressures the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic is putting on provision of other healthcare needs.
The Ministry of Health, in partnership with USAID, took delivery of a year’s supply of much needed drugs for Rwandans living with HIV/AIDs.
The consignment, valued at $8million consisted of 349,393 bottles of Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Dolutegravir (TLD-B/90), a year’s supply for 87,000 individuals.
The delivery was an important milestone for Rwanda Medical Supply Limited (RMS). The company is part of a USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funded project, Transforming Rwanda Medical Supply Chain (TRMS), which aims to establish a trusted, efficient supply chain for medicines in Rwanda.
The consignment was a success for TRMS, and RMS, who, in delivering it in a relatively short time of five weeks, demonstrated they were equal to the task of future deliveries.
“We are pleased with the arrival of the first shipment of highly effective HIV/AIDS treatment drugs, under the TRMS project, and of the biggest achievements of the TRMS” said, RMS Chief Executive, Pie Harerimana.
Rwanda has approximately 210,200 people living with HIV/AIDS, from an estimated 37.7million people worldwide, of whom two thirds, or 25.4million, are in Africa.
The shipment was the first of a five year, $75million contract signed between RMS, and USAID, to build an efficient health commodity supply chain for Rwanda. The company hopes to deliver a variety of different medicines, including those for Malaria, maternal and child health and family planning.
It is an onerous responsibility. Rwanda is currently one of only three countries worldwide, with which USAID is working to establish a respected local supply chain.
