Niger supply chain

In addition to the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), there are four agencies involved in the supply chain management system:¹

• The Direction de la Pharmacie et de la Médecine Traditionnelle (DPH/MT) is in charge of the formulation and monitoring of the pharmaceutical policy. This includes the administration of the pharmaceutical sector, regulation, pharmacovigilance, the setting of norms and standards, supervision, and the promotion of traditional medicine.
• The Office National des Produits Pharmaceutiques et Chimiques (ONPPC) is responsible for the supply, storage, and distribution of essential medicines and supply.
• The Société Nigérienne des Industries Pharmaceutiques (SONIPHAR) ensures the local production and distribution of medicine.
• The Laboratoire National de Santé Publique et d’Expertise (LANSPEX) is responsible for the quality control of medicines. Niger’s MSP states that all antimalarial drugs delivered must have a Nigerian marketing authorization and must comply with WHO standards and will be tested for quality upon arrival in the country and six months afterwards.

Currently, the ONPPC is in charge of procurement and distribution of medical supplies as well as curtailing the sale of illegal drugs. A parastatal, ONPPC operates on a charter from the Government of Niger.¹

ONPPC has two drug distribution systems: one for donor-funded commodities for high priority programs (e.g. tuberculosis (TB), malaria, HIV/AIDS, family planning); and the second for other products donated or purchased by the government of Niger. Supplies are distributed through three ONPPC zonal warehouses to district depots and regional hospitals or directly to districts or regional depots using a ‘pull’ system based on requests by end users or ‘push’ system (currently the case for malaria products).¹

For donor-funded commodities, ONPPC set up a unit called the Special Management Unit (Unité de Gestion Spécifique) which is in charge of managing all high priority program commodities from the reception at ONPPC to the delivery at the peripheral level.¹

From the district level, health facilities go to district depots to pick up their supplies by using any method they can find to get commodities, whether it is public transport or personal vehicle, motorbike or facilities ambulance. Due to their bulk, Long lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (LLINs) have their own distribution system outside ONPPC from central level to district, and it is managed by Global Fund principal malaria recipient.¹

All medical services and products, including malaria drugs and commodities, are to be provided free to children under-five years of age and to pregnant women. Other adults and older children are charged fixed prices for medical services but donated commodities for high priorities programme (e.g., TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS commodities) still remain free of charge.¹