This is a joint WHO/Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN) publication which reports on a descriptive, comparative multi-country research project on the of 16 EPN member faith-based drug supply organizations (DSOs) and their contribution to medicines supply in 11 Anglophone and Francophone sub-Saharan African countries in 2003. The study involved structured assessments on key functions of these organizations' supply, storage and distribution systems. Specially designed questionnaires were also used to assess how the organizations' services are perceived by their clients, founding bodies and governments. Peer-review on good practices through "learning by evaluating" and by "learning how to evaluate", using paired country assessments, was an important element of the study design. The study produced comprehensive information about DSOs' operations and how their services are perceived. The results confirmed that DSOs are generally performing well, largely due to their transparent procurement procedures, competitive prices and highly motivated staff. They have won the trust of their customers, appreciation from ministries of health and good relationships with their founding church bodies. The study succeeded in showing that faith-based DSOs play a crucial role in terms of increasing access to medicines, especially in rural and other remote areas of Africa, and provide a complementary service where government supply measures may fail to serve the public health system. In such circumstances faith-based DSOs offer a "safety net" function in the pharmaceutical supply system.
EPN Statement on PEPFAR - October 2004
Multi-country study feedback meeting
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