Thorough analysis of supply chain factors for POC testing in rural Ghana…
Great article and thanks for posting. Although less relevant to RDTs, there are technologies like connected diagnostics that provide precisely these benefits: preventing stockouts because of automated utilization, consumption and inventory at sites spread out around a country.
This article highlights one of the specific gaps mentioned in Madhu’s article on another threat about gaps in the TB system. We can focus on tests where they’re stocked out 47% of the time…or we can double the number of people tested with the same exact stock by investing in the systems to more effectively monitor stock and consumption. Multiple tools exist for monitoring stock and many can communicate digitally via mobile platforms, apps, and other methods (e.g. mesh / Filament, SMS, other). The tools exist. The problem is known. The impact would be enormous comparable to the investment.
Good point, a technological solution could be helpful. Also helpful might be a procurement division devoted to diagnostics so that requests for testing supplies aren’t lost in the effort to improve availability of other supplies (e.g., medicines).