In July 2012, On behalf of the newly independent South Sudan and its Ministry of Health (MOH), the USAID | DELIVER PROJECT and international donors and partners implemented the Emergency Medicines Fund (EMF) to ensure medicines and commodities were procured, stored, and delivered to county health departments and hospitals.
Logenix was hired by USAID/DELIVER to establish the country’s first temperature controlled warehouse in Juba to receive and distribute the medical supplies. 30,000 square feet of GDP, refrigerated warehouse was constructed within six weeks by procuring supplies from around the world. Generators and air conditioning units were sourced from the UAE and Asia while racking, forklifts and packing supplies were bought from manufacturers in Kenya and Uganda.
The EMF was to procure $35.2 million dollars of critically needed medical supplies and pharmaceuticals that comprised 102 products to be packaged in 90 unique kit combinations to treat malaria, administer vaccines, and ensure maternal health. The distribution tasking to Logenix was to receive, assemble and to deliver the unique kits to 80 health centers throughout South Sudan. The assembled kits would comprise over 280,000 cartons and weigh over 8 million pounds.
Delayed for several months due to the outbreak of civil war, deliveries were able to begin in May 2014. Seven states were declared safe for distribution and Logenix began road deliveries to the health centers throughout those states. Three states were now under control of rebel forces and Logenix worked in tandem with the UN to coordinate helicopter deliveries to health facilities in those states.
During the two-year span of the operation, Logenix had up to a dozen trucks departing Juba on a weekly basis providing deliveries to multiple health centers across South Sudan. During the rainy season, when unpaved roads would flood, vehicle traffic could be backed up for miles. Truck deliveries were often out for weeks before making their way back to Juba. For many of the most remote sites, special off-road vehicles were contracted. During most of the distribution period, there were nearly three dozen trucks constantly revolving in transit to the health centers. For temperature-controlled medicines, Logenix fabricated vehicles to be specially equipped with generators and insulated truck bodies for deliveries across the harsh terrain.
At the completion of the distribution in 2016, Logenix turned over the warehouse to MOH and further provided detailed guidance on effective distribution strategies still being utilized today.
