Drugs logistics management information system in Mozambique : challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The reported research is concerned with the difficulties and barriers that the Mozambican health system is facing in drugs logistics management, especially relating to its information and drugs flows. The research focuses on understanding the existing information flows in relation to stock imbalances of medicines in the health care facilities. In what ways does the current logistics management plan designed by the Ministry of Health respond to the needs of the health facilities? What are the constraints of the health logistics information system regarding managing the supplies of medicines? And lastly, what role do information and communication technologies play in the health logistics management information system? Answers to these questions are explored through an empirical analysis, and some recommendations for action are developed. The research took place in two districts in Mozambique. To approach the problem, interviews and literature review were performed.

The problems in the drugs logistics management information systems (DLMIS) are concerned with the existence of small budgets to sustain the growing demand of the country. Medicines supplied to health facilities are normally what exists in the main storages of the country and not what is requested. Lack of culture of information, the scarce existence of human resources, and other resources such as transport, adversely influence the functioning of the logistics system and the logistics information system. Although the Mozambican logistics system is considered as one of the best in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is extremely ineffective.

The policies of the country and the social system are some of the factors why the DLMIS are in such a situation, specifically the hierarchical structure of the health department and the centralized way of functioning. The study adopted the approach that an effectively functioning DLMIS can support the more effective drug flows to the health facilities. However, making improvements in the DLMIS is a complex task, since it is influenced by many cultural-political factors. A social system perspective was adopted to study the functioning of the DLMIS, existing constraints, and identify points of action.