In a country as vast as Zambia, geography is often the enemy of healthcare. Ensuring that essential commodities, from Antiretrovirals (ARVs) to Malaria test kits, reach remote clinics in deep rural areas is a massive logistical challenge. For years, paper-based reporting systems slowed down the flow of information. A stock-out recorded on paper in a rural district could take weeks to be noticed by the central warehouse, leaving patients without life-saving medication.
The Digital Transformation As a prime partner on the Electronic Supply Chain Management Information System (eSCMIS) project, Coalition Health Zambia (CHZ) was tasked with modernizing this backbone. Our mission was to move beyond the central hubs and digitize the “last mile”, the final, critical step where the medicine reaches the patient.
We led the massive rollout of the eLMIS Facility Edition (FE). This wasn’t just about installing software; it was about changing a culture. Our technical teams traveled to the hardest-to-reach districts, installing systems and training 5,648 health workers on data application and troubleshooting.
Building a Resilient Network The scale of this operation was historic. CHZ rolled out digital tracking to 1,039 health facilities, covering 54% of Zambia’s entire public health network. We integrated this facility-level data with the central warehouse management system, creating a “live view” of the country’s medical stock.
To ensure the system evolved with the needs of the users, our software teams completed 241 out of 243 (99%) nationally identified software improvements. We also established IMPACT Teams, multidisciplinary groups that review data quality at the district level to ensure accuracy.
The Result: Security and Visibility Today, decision-makers in Lusaka can see supply levels in remote clinics in real-time. This visibility allows for “Malaria Seasonality Modeling” to predict spikes in demand before they happen. By replacing paper with pixels, CHZ has helped build a supply chain that is transparent, efficient, and responsive to the needs of every Zambian citizen.