Publications

    Rosenberg J, Ahmad I, Sharara N, Weintraub R. Improving Maternal Health by Addressing Stockouts: Integrating the Private Sector into the Public Health Supply Chain in Senegal. Harvard Business Publishing. 2021.Abstract

    This case traces the development of a series of initiatives to intended to reduce stockouts of family planning commodities in Senegal’s public health system and the eventual scale up of the redesigned supply chain to include additional commodities and its transfer of management to the government. After providing some background on the history of Senegal, including its governance and health system, the case explores early efforts to overhaul the supply chain in the country and reproductive health efforts. It then describes the Gates Foundation’s involvement and how the relationship between family planning and supply chain management came to light. The Gates Foundation, along with others, supported the launch of the Informed Push Model with Third Party Logisticians (IPM-3PL), which proved to reduce stockouts dramatically. Despite significant initial support from both government ministries and international donor agencies, as the program scaled IPM-3PL did not survive the transition to a fully government-run model, and the program was eventually discontinued in 2019 after two attempts to hand over the program to Senegal’s National Supply Pharmacy (Pharmacie Nationale d'Approvisionnement; PNA), the government agency in charge of distribution of medicines. The case ends with the director of the PNA contemplating what was next for Senegal and what she could tell others who had been so closely watching the country as an example.

    Learning Objectives:

    This case documents the need for and process to overhaul Senegal’s public health supply chain. A productive class discussion will allow students to appreciate the following:

    1. The benefits and challenges of transitioning aspects of a public health supply chain between push and pull models
    2. The trade-offs of private sector integration in public health supply chains
    3. How the management and financing structure of a public health supply chain impacts its efficacy and scalability
    4. The need for cross-sector and intragovernmental collaboration for effective supply chain management and the relationship between policy and last mile delivery

    Supply Chain Scenarios

    Keywords: supply chain management, private-public partnership, maternal health, third party logisticians, informed push model, scale up, distribution

    Redditt V, ole-MoiYoi K, Rodriguez W, Rosenberg J, Weintraub R. Malaria Control in Zambia (Condensed Version). Harvard Business Publishing. 2012.Abstract

    The case delves into the history of malaria control efforts in Zambia, including control and treatment policy changes in the in the early 2000s that set Zambia apart from other countries. Because by 2005 Zambia was still falling short of its targets, the National Malaria Control Center (NMCC) resolved to intensify its efforts by developing one national plan to improve coordination, data collection, partner involvement, and ultimately, rapidly scale-up interventions to meet the national malaria targets. The new NMCC director, Dr. Elizabeth Chizema, helped the program achieve success through several key interventions described in the case. With improved monitoring and evaluation, Chizema could demonstrate progress in malaria control, but she worried that partners might lose interest in helping Zambia given the low burden, and the program still had many challenges to overcome. This is a condensed version of the case Malaria Control in Zambia

    Teaching Note available through Harvard Business Publishing.

    Plasmodium Falciparum life cycle
    Plasmodium Falciparum life cycle. Source: United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks. Killer Number One: The Fight against Malaria. 2006; 47.

    Learning Objectives: To understand the development of a successful malaria control program over time and the components that led to its success including the value of setting bold national goals, the merits of a health system with centralized governance and decentralized implementation, the importance of multiple coordinated interventions as opposed to a "silver bullet" approach for malaria control, and the use of data as an outcome measure, planning tool, and fundraising tool.

    Supporting Content: This is a condensed version of the case Malaria Control in Zambia.

    Keywords: National strategy, supply chain management, malaria eradication and control, leadership

    Redditt V, ole-MoiYoi K, Rodriguez W, Rosenberg J, Weintraub R. Malaria Control in Zambia. Harvard Business Publishing. 2012.Abstract

    This case reviews the changes in national policy and the subsequent interventions used to reduce the incidence of malaria in Zambia from 2005 to 2010. After providing contextual information on Zambia-including historical, demographic, social, and health information-the case delves into the history of malaria control efforts worldwide and in Zambia. Though Zambia was at the forefront of malaria control-changing policy, adopting new treatment, and aggressively pursuing comprehensive malaria control efforts-in the early 2000s, by 2005 the Zambian government was still falling short of its targets. The National Malaria Control Center (NMCC) resolved to intensify its efforts by developing one national plan to improve coordination, data collection, and partner involvement, and ultimately, to scale up interventions rapidly in order to meet the national malaria targets. The new NMCC director, Dr. Elizabeth Chizema, guided the program toward success through several key interventions described in the case. With basic improvements in monitoring and evaluation, Chizema could demonstrate progress in malaria control. Nonetheless, she worried that partners might lose interest in helping Zambia given the decreasing burden even though the program still had many challenges to overcome.

    Teaching Note available through Harvard Business Publishing.

    Plasmodium Falciparum life cycle
    Plasmodium Falciparum life cycle. Source: United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks. Killer Number One: The Fight against Malaria. 2006; 47.

    Learning Objectives: To understand the development of a successful malaria control program over time and the components that led to its success, including the value of setting bold national goals, the merits of a health system with centralized governance and decentralized implementation, the importance of multiple coordinated interventions as opposed to a "silver bullet" approach for malaria control, and the use of data as an outcome measure, planning tool, and fundraising tool.

    Supporting Content: There is a shorter version of this case titled Malaria Control in Zambia (Condensed Version).

    Keywords: National strategy, supply chain management, malaria eradication and control, leadership