Waiting line outside the dispensary, Madagascar, 2019. © PSF Switzerland
A look back at some of our successes!
The dispensaries of Aina Vao, Mahasoa and Fantanenana are mostly attended by a poor and vulnerable population that does not always have the financial means to pay for their medicines. PSF Switzerland supports these three health centres, by supporting the purchase and delivery of quality medicines – During the project period, all the funds necessary for the delivery of medicines were sent! Moreover, in 2020, in Aina Vao, 320 patients per year have benefited from a special fund for the most deprived.
A major issue related to the delivery and quality of medicines was stock management. Indeed, the health centres did not have the material and human resources to implement an effective stock management of medicines. However, stock management is essential in order to better understand and anticipate the orders to be made, depending on the remaining medicines. Since suppliers can be located on the other side of the country, it can take up to several weeks for an order to be delivered!
To mitigate these risks, as of 2019, PSF Switzerland has put in place stock management tools. For instance, the practice of monthly inventories has been adopted in the three clinics. In Aina Vao, a fee-based pharmaceutical software (PharmaPlus) has been installed and staff has been trained to use it. The use of this software is proving to be very effective, and allows for the anticipation of possible problems, centralising the availability of medicines in real time. PSF Switzerland plans to install the software in the other health centres by 2021.
La formation universitaire, fruit de la collaboration entre l’Université d’Antananarivo et l’Université de Genève-Lausanne, bénéficie toujours aux étudiant.e.s en pharmacie. Ils sont particulièrement intéressé.e.s par cet échange d’expérience, et elle débouche sur un stage de formation pour un.e étudiant.e de 5ème année au sein du Centre Aina Vao.
University training, the result of a collaboration between the University of Antananarivo and the University of Geneva and Lausanne, continues to benefit pharmacy students. They are particularly interested in this exchange of experience that leads to a training course for a 5th year student at the Aina Vao Centre.
2020: the turmoil created by Covid-19
A good dose of flexibility, a dash of anticipation and a pinch of resilience: this is what the Health Centres and PSF Switzerland had to show.
Funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in Madagascar, PSF Switzerland implemented various emergency measures in the region of Mahajanga to combat the spread of Covid-19.
“Duck-billed” masks, Madagascar, 2020. © PSF Switzerland
Among the actions implemented, we can mention the distribution to the nursing staff of reusable “duck-billed” masks, which have passed the quality test. The on-site volunteer pharmacist also made hydroalcoholic solution, as per the WHO formula, and distributed it in the supported health centres, but also in the hospitals of Candide and Jean-Paul II.
PSF Switzerland has trained and sensitised community workers to preventive measures for Covid-19. The community workers receive patients at the entrance of the health centres, inform them about barrier gestures and distribute masks if necessary.
Soap distribution and awareness of barrier gestures, Madagascar, 2020. © PSF Switzerland
For more information
To find out more about the actions carried out, read the press release.
PSF Switzerland’s commitment allows to help thousands of people in the region of Mahajanga and to support local health workers to carry out their work in the best possible conditions. Despite the quick and effective adaptation to the Covid-19 crisis, many questions remain unanswered and new challenges are emerging…
In this respect, and to strengthen its support, PSF Switzerland, together with its local partners, has decided to set up a new three-year project as of 2021.