Weak and inefficient supply chain management systems pose a critical challenge to reaching the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), says Dr Abudulai Abubari, the Acting Upper West Regional Director of Ghana Health Service.

He underscored the fundamental role of health service supply chain professionals in advancing healthcare in the country but cautioned that due to weaknesses of the system Ghana might miss health-related goals under the SDGs.

“This is because the service delivery component of any health system performance cannot be adequately assessed or monitored where the requisite logistics such as medicines and non-medicines are not available in their right quantities, at the right time and at the right service delivery points,” he said.

Dr Abubakari was addressing members of the Health Service Supply Chain Practitioners Association, Ghana (HESSCPAG), at the opening of their 11th Annual General Meeting and Continuous Professional Development programme in Wa.

He called for the need to support members of the Association to deliver on their mandate to improve health outcomes since they were directly involved in ensuring that logistics were available at various service delivery points.

The conference was on the theme: “Sustaining the gains of public health supply chain reforms in Ghana: Framework contracting, last mile distribution, logistics management information systems and warehouse optimisation”.

Dr Abubakari expressed worry over acute human resource gap in the health sector in the Upper West Region and appealed to health professionals to accept postings to the area.

He said the Region currently has only 14 supply chain practitioners managing 11 district health directorates, eight hospitals and four polyclinics.

The Upper West Regional Minister Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan in a speech read on his behalf, said government was committed to making the health sector more active and vibrant to deliver quality services.

“The health system…is critical for national development, hence the vision of government is to see that the right to health of all Ghanaians is guaranteed through an established health sector with sustainable ability to deliver affordable, equitable and easy healthcare,” he said.

He pledged commitment by government to address disparities in the sector through policies on procurement to guarantee the availability of effective drugs whilst ensuring drugs were used appropriately.

It would improve the drug supply chain by expanding and ensuring quality affordable drugs available.