Logistic Challenges Associated with Supply Chain Management of HIV/AIDS Programs in Cross River State, Nigeria

Background: Life-saving drugs such as anti-retroviral therapy and other critical supplies are becoming more accessible to millions of people living with HIV/AIDs. The modern pharmaceutical and laboratory commodity supply and management chain is complex and ravaged with numerous challenges. Objective: of this study is to examine health commodity supply chain management in relation to project implementation of HIV/AIDS and make recommendation for proper management and improvement. Results: ARVs and RTKs formed the basis of most expired commodities encountered. ARVs had 13 (23%) different products of different expiry dates while laboratory reagents had 39 (77%) products with different expiry dates. Two Sample T-Test and confidence interval for the parameters were carried out and T- calculated for both parameters were found to be less than T – table. The T- Cal for ARVs were -2.82 while T- Table is 1.71, also the T-Cal for lab reagents were -3.62 while T-Table was 1.69. This shows that there is no significant difference between the total cost of expired ARVs and expired laboratory reagents since the T-Cal for both products were less than T-Table. Conclusion: Total cost of 51,369.02USD of fund that was lost to expiry was a colossal loss to the project implementation. More funds, time and energy will still be spent on the retrieval, transportation and destruction of these expiries. Activities of different implementing partners (IPs) should be streamlined and rationalized among the IPs to prevent parallel and multiple supply of health commodities to the facilities. Also facility staff should be properly mentored and adequate technical assistance should be rendered to ensure good inventory management and proper storage of all health commodities especially all the cold chain products.