Browsing by Author "Tetteh, E.K."
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Assuring health commodity security in resource-poor settings(Elsevier, 2022) Tetteh, E.K.Health planners charged with the task of building or at least maintaining the health of populations within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have to find ways of providing steady, predictable supplies of health commodities for unpredictable demands for healthcare and health. To address this issue, this paper emphasizes a focus on aggregate commodity security defined as the continuous interrupted supply of health commodities belonging to all therapeutic categories and not just a selected subset. Given this focus, the paper identifies logistics systems comprising of a set of logistics activities as the machinery for assuring aggregate commodity security. Steady reliable supplies of health commodities, whenever and wherever they are needed, however, means looking beyond logistics systems. Health planners must ask whether there is a healthy supplier base for the commodities needed. The paper notes that a secure supply of health commodities in any LMIC, will remain an illusion without functional logistics systems supported by a healthy supplier base.Item Consolidation or multiplicity in supply logistics for health commodities?(Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 2023) Tetteh, E.K.Public health-sectors of most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) run a central medical stores (CMS) model that is monopolistic in character. Concerns raised about monopolistic CMS arrangements stress the need to encourage cost reducing efforts and improve service levels (outputs) by having multiple competing logistics institutions. This paper examines the desirability of consolidation or multiplicity in supply logistics by focusing on the task of inventory management (that is, distribution, storage and warehousing). The paper uses theory and historical evidence to describe and suggest a desired form of multiplicity in LMICs. Consolidation shouldn't progress to the point of monopoly and multiplicity doesn't mean having an infinite number of logistics institutions. A limited number (2−10) of logistics institu tions, that are full-line and national in their scope and scale of operations, should be enough to provide choice, support competition and minimize the risk of supply disruptions. Health policy and planning in LMICs should explore ways of turning existing logistics institutions in the public, private and non-governmental sectors into a multiplicity of types that are capable of assuring uninterrupted supplies of health commodities.Item Knowing your HIV/AIDS response: A pilot test of a new service mapping toolkit in Ghana(Urban and Partner, 2016) Laar, A.; Sutherland, A.J.; Sutherland, E.; Manu, A.; Dzokoto, A.W.; Ankomah, A.; Nortey, P.A.; Derry, S.K.K.; Tetteh, E.K.Background “Knowing” an HIV response in a country is a complex undertaking. This requires knowing what actions key implementers in all sectors (government, non-government, public, and private) are deploying; what populations they serve; what the reach of these programs are, amongst others. Aim We aimed to pilot test a set of newly developed data collection tools referred to as the Know Your Response (KYR) toolkit in Ghana. The KYR toolkit addresses three key concepts that are critical for an improved understanding of the HIV-prevention response in terms of location, scale, and needs. Materials and methods Data were collected on HIV programming being undertaken in each of the 16 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Analysis and dissemination of data includes the generation of univariate and bivariate tabulations as well as production of maps of HIV services using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. Results The toolkit was successful in collecting a great deal of data that describe, at the district level, who is working in HIV prevention, what interventions they are providing, where these interventions are being provided, and to whom the interventions are being targeted. The data generated allows for mapping and understanding of the scope and scale of the HIV-prevention response at the district level. It also identifies challenges and opportunities for scaling the exercise nationally. Conclusions The study provides information needed to guide prioritization, and/or adjustment of the national HIV-prevention programs and interventions being carried out in the Greater Accra region. © 2016 Polish AIDS Research SocietyItem Reducing avoidable medication-related harm: What will it take?(Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 2019-04) Tetteh, E.K.Consumption of quality-assured medicines is expected to maintain or improve population health. Yet in a number of situations, what is realized is lower health benefits or magnified safety risks. Recognizing the public health implications of safety risks or medication-related harm, and that some types of harm are avoidable, the World Health Organization has initiated the third Global Patient Safety challenge on Medication Safety. Under the term “Medication Without Harm”, this Challenge aims to assess the scope and nature of avoidable medication-related harm, create a framework for intervention and develop national guidance and tools to support safer medication use. The global target under the Challenge is to reduce the level of severe avoidable medication-related harm by 50% over a five-year period or within the next five years. Given a higher morbidity and mortality due to medication-related harm in low-income countries, this paper evaluates what needs to be done in low-income countries in order to achieve the global target. The ideal solution advocated requires that health planners in each low-income country determine what fraction of safety risks or harm can be prevented; and the relationship between number or frequency of avoidable harm or safety risks and the resource costs of treatment or prevention. In the absence of such information, this paper discusses a number of prevention strategies that might help; arguing that the period over which avoidable medication-related harm can be reduced by 50% will depend on whether significant continuous investments in health-system strengthening are made prior to and within that period.Item Transforming Supply Logistics for Health Commodity Security in Africa(Global Health: Science and Practice, 2024) Tetteh, E.K.To resolve the problem of ensuring secure supplies of all health commodities, health planners in African countries must first identify arrangements that best serve the public interests of promoting choice and competition in ensuring health commodity security. Investments in inventory management should not be viewed as a one-off exercise but rather as a continuous search for the optimal scale and scope of operations that ensure the availability of essential health commodities most of the time. Without competing alternatives to manage inventory, public-sector logistics monopolies lack adequate incentives to devise ways of reducing costs and improving output. Further, these monopolies make it more difficult to minimize the impact and duration of catastrophic supply disruptions. Current efforts to improve public-sector supply logistics must be extended to include the transformation of existing public and private logistics infrastructure for inventory management into a state of prudent multiplicity—one in which there are at least 2 full-line national logistics institutions competing to serve all government, nongovernmental, and private health facilities. Health planners should consider creating a state of prudent multiplicity in their roadmaps, master plans, and health system strengthening initiatives.