Health commodity supply chains are a critical element of a well-functioning health system.
And it is through reliable access to medicines, vaccines, and medical products that relevant authorities are able to ensure disease management and containment.
Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Jonathan Feakes made this comment while officiating at the launch of procurement and supply chain reform in Suva this afternoon.
He said research had shown that supply chains now accounted for nearly 25 per cent of pharmaceutical costs and more than 40 per cent of medical device costs.
“So we can see, quite simply, the annual spending is so vast that even minor efficiency gains could free up a significant amount of money to invest elsewhere,” Mr Feakes said.
Fiji’s Minister for Health and Medical Services Health Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said the launch marked another milestone and the beginning of a series of game-changing interventions to ensure that all Fijians, irrespective of their area of residence or socio-economic status, had easy access to adequate quantities of essential medicines in a timely manner.
