Monash Quality of Medicines Initiative supports USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program to Improve Supply and Storage Practices for Uterotonics in Sub-Saharan Africa

1 November 2023

Pete Lambert, Director of the Monash Quality of Medicines Initiative conducting a training workshop on the quality of PPH medicines with private and public stakeholders in Guinea, West Africa. © GHSC-PSM Guinea

Studies indicate that efforts to address the leading cause of maternal mortality, postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), are hindered by the high prevalence of poor-quality medicines used to prevent and treat this condition in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Approximately 40% or higher of the three medicines most commonly used in managing PPH, oxytocin, misoprostol and ergometrine, when sampled from health facilities, pharmacies or other points in the health system are substandard.

To address this situation the Monash Quality of Medicines Initiative supports the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Project – Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) program in working with stakeholders in LMICs to implement best practices in supply management. Capacity building workshops have been held with both the private and public sectors, including ministries of health and national regulatory authorities, to highlight threats to the quality of these medicines and propose mitigation strategies to avoid poor quality products reaching patients. Working with USAID, hybrid workshops conducted both in-person and online have been conducted in Malawi, Nigeria and Guinea with training materials supplied to Mozambique stakeholders to support local educational efforts. To date, approximately 300 individuals have attended these training sessions.

Further workshops are planned, with an emphasis on identifying regional forums that will allow efficient dissemination of information to a wider group of stakeholders.

“The Sustainable Development Goals include ambitious targets for reducing maternal mortality by 2030. To successfully meet these targets, the issue of poor-quality medicines must be addressed and we are proud to support USAID and GHSC-PSM in working with country stakeholders to improve this critical situation”, Pete Lambert, Director of the Monash Quality of Medicines Initiative.

“GHSC-PSM improves the availability of medicines by strengthening health supply chain systems, however, the quality of medicines is a critical component. By collaborating with the Monash Quality of Medicines Initiative, we can address the challenge of poor-quality medicines to ensure that mothers experience far less risk during or following childbirth.”, Siobhan Perkins, Maternal and Child Health Deputy Director, USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program