Outsourcing Transport to Improve Health at the Last Mile: A Case Study

At the end of 2015, the provincial government of Tete - with support from VillageReach and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - contracted with a local third-party logistics provider to test a new model of transporting vaccines, ARVs, and essential medicines to rural health facilities. The case study provides more detail on this program, including findings from a six-month assessment conducted by Imperial Health Sciences and the steps that the province is taking to scale-up and finance the program long-term. It presents the potential benefits of outsourcing in terms of 1) improved availability, 2) increased efficiency, 3) better data collection and reporting, and 4) enhanced trust in the system. It also outlines next steps and considerations for government authorities interested in outsourcing as a way to improve transport for vaccines and other essential medicines.