Digital Innovation in Uganda’s Health Supply Chain: Our Journey with Signalytic
At Health Access Connect (HAC), we’ve always believed in the power of technology to transform healthcare delivery. Our recent project in Masaka, Uganda, demonstrates how digital infrastructure can revolutionize supply chain management for essential health commodities.
Project Overview
In collaboration with Signalytic (S+), we embarked on an ambitious project to improve visibility and management of reproductive health supplies across 15 health facilities in Masaka District and Masaka City. Funded by PATH Digital Square, our initiative aimed to digitize and network health facilities, providing real-time insights into stock levels and improving commodity management.
Key Achievements
Our project delivered remarkable results:
- We successfully installed 15 digital health infrastructure systems across lower-level health facilities, including district offices and our warehouse.
- We proved that digital systems can effectively operate in environments with unreliable electricity and internet access.
- We enabled full spectrum stock data transmission to the national Pharmaceutical Information Portal (PIP), giving national officials unprecedented visibility into stock levels.
By the Numbers
From September 2023 to February 2024, our system processed:
- Masaka District: 46,903 inventory transactions
- Masaka City: 58,834 inventory transactions
Compared to the previous paper-based system that took an average of 90 days to digitize data, our solution provided near real-time stock information for all commodities.
Challenges and Learning
Our journey wasn’t without obstacles. However, these experiences taught us valuable lessons:
- Public sector interventions must align closely with priorities of the Ministry of Health.
- Pilot projects must be flexible and prepared for potential shifts in national-level strategies.
Looking Forward
Although the project will not continue to a second phase, we’re proud of the proof of concept we’ve established. The workflows and systems we’ve developed will inform future digital health initiatives in Uganda and potentially beyond.
Our work demonstrates that with patience, collaboration, and technological innovation, we can incrementally improve healthcare supply chain management, ultimately benefiting patients and healthcare providers.
Acknowledgments
We extend our gratitude to PATH Digital Square, USAID, Signalytic, the Masaka District and Masaka City health offices, and the Ministry of Health for their support and collaboration throughout this project.
