Improving Supply Chains for Community Case Management of Pneumonia and Other Common Diseases of Childhood (SC4CCM)

Improving Supply Chains for Community Case Management of Pneumonia and Other Common Diseases of Childhood (SC4CCM) was a five-year learning project implemented by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. from 2009-2015. SC4CCM’s goal was to identify proven, simple, affordable solutions to address the unique supply chain challenges of community health workers (CHWs). Working with government integrated community case management (iCCM) programs in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Rwanda, SC4CCM tested supply chain interventions aimed at improving supply chain practices and access to medicines so CHWs can treat common childhood illnesses like pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea, and malnutrition.

SC4CCM activities to improve community supply chains and product availability included:

• Developing simple resupply procedures and an easy-to-use resupply calculator for CHWs in Rwanda. and training health center staff to give ready lessons on supply chain basics to CHWs during monthly meeting in Ethiopia to improve supply chain knowledge and skills.
• Adding a supply chain incentive to the community performance based financing system in Rwanda.
• Enhancing data visibility through cStock, an mHealth tool for reporting and resupply in Malawi.
• Introducing teamwork and structured problem solving across different levels of the supply chain in all three countries to improve supply chain performance.
• Supporting national level quantification and coordination efforts and advocating for use of optimal, pediatric products.

SC4CCM worked with Ministries of Health (MOH) and partners to scale up and institutionalize proven interventions. Activities to operationalize MOH ownership of the innovations included tapping existing working groups to steward the scale up process, identifying and building champions for the innovations and overall improvement of community supply chains, and developing multi-year costed strategic or transition plans.

The project had five objectives:

1. Plan and undertake a baseline assessment in three countries to enable development of a Theory of Change model and country-specific implementation plans.
2. Identify, test, and implement interventions in supply chain management systems to support community case management for child health in three countries.
3. Ensure that these three countries are able to procure their key products efficiently from the local, regional, or global marketplace, at reasonable cost, and assured quality.
4. Institutionalize improved supply chain management practices and plan for their sustainability.
5. Conduct a cross-country analysis of findings and lessons learned, and disseminate findings through appropriate fora.

Watch a short video about SC4CCM's experience testing simple and affordable innovations to overcome supply chain bottlenecks at the community level.