Project
Managing the Response to Ebola in Sierra Leone /
- 10 million individual items – weighing 2m kilos – procured, transported and distributed /
- 240 suppliers engaged in procurement /
Making Sierra Leone Ebola-free
We managed the UK government’s response to the Ebola epidemic which hit Sierra Leone in 2014. We and our partners the International Procurement Agency built a robust end-to-end supply chain to fight the spread of disease and save thousands of lives.
Our approach:
- Within 72 hours of being engaged by DFID we had set up the first Ebola treatment centre in Freetown
- Operating flights carrying 1,500 product lines on a 48-hour rotation, delivering on our promise of ‘no stock-outs’
- Coordinating closely with the UK Ministry of Defence, Sierra Leone government, UN and other NGO implementing partners to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines
- Developing standard specifications with key stakeholders to agree sources of acceptable alternative medical products
- Establishing a dedicated warehouse supported by sophisticated IT to capture data to inform forecasting and decision making
Beating the epidemic
We are proud to have played a role in the country being declared Ebola-free in November 2015. We are continuing to partner in Sierra Leone to improve systems, processes and behaviours in Sierra Leone’s healthcare system.