Enabling public health supply chain transformation

Africa Resource Centre (ARC) is a continent-wide public health systems-strengthening institution that provides independent expert advisory and enablement services to African health ministries.

Nearly half of all patients cannot access the medicines and health products they need in the right quantities at the point of need.

African public health systems have a big challenge that affects over 1.3 billion people in Africa.

While many patients cannot access the medicines they need, they can get products from the private sector, like toothpaste, cool drinks and sim cards.This is because many private sector supply chains are complex yet efficient. On the other hand, public sector supply chains are often complex, inefficient and fragmented.

Why does ARC exist?

Provides independent expert
advisory and enablement services
to African health ministries

Facilitates engagement between
governments, donors and implementing partners with local experts, private sector and
academic partners to catalyse innovative
solutions to Africa’s public health systems.

Engages with regional communities and bodies to support the continental public health agenda.

How does ARC support governments in Africa?

ARC’s advisory service supports governments in making medicines as readily available as private sector products in two ways:

Projects

Invest in supply chain transformation projects built on private sector best practices

Leverages private sector expertise
Advocates and shapes demand for new supply chain methods and approaches

Enabling

Invest in enabling the ecosystem to bring efficiency to the millions spent every year by donors and governments

Empowers governments
Encourages ownership
Strengthens accountability

Where does ARC exist?

ARC has expanded substantially since 2016/7. We have regional offices in Dakar, Nairobi and Cape Town, which allow us to cover more than 10 countries on the continent.