The Role of the eELMIS as a Tool of Public Health Emergency Supply Chain Management during Uganda's COVID-19 Emergency Response

After registering its first Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case on 21st March 2020, Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MoH) declared the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Uganda, triggering activation of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) supply chain system. At the center of Uganda’s PHE supply chain system lies a robust electronic information system known as the electronic Emergency Logistics Management Information System (eELMIS). This paper describes in detail the role of the eELMIS as a tool of supply chain management during Uganda’s COVID-19 emergency response. All the key functionalities and activities supported by the eELMIS were examined. Through the eELMIS, movement of COVID-19 Medical countermeasures (MCMs) was tracked for 16 Regional referral hospitals (RRHs), 8 regional prepositioning centers, 28 high risk districts, more than 80 public hospitals, 71 quarantine centers, and 54 points of entry (PoE). A total of 254 orders for COVID-19 MCMs were processed and fully issued through the eELMIS to ensure constant availability of MCMs at frontlines. Quantification, forecasting and pipeline monitoring for the entire country was successfully conducted through the eELMIS. Real time data visibility of COVID-19 supplies at treatment centers, district stores, regional prepositioning centers, central warehouses and partner stores was ensured. The eELMIS further provided routine reports to the Logistic subcommittee (LSC) on the country’s emergency stock-status, stock gap analysis, and national aggregate stock to support top management decision making for the country. In conclusion, the eELMIS formed the backbone of a seamless COVID-19 supply chain emergency response for Uganda, linking the national level, sub-national levels, and health facilities and hence improving response time. This paper therefore shares Uganda’s experiences in using the eELMIS as a tool of supply chain management during Uganda’s COVID-19 pandemic response from which other countries without established emergency electronic logistic information systems to support their existing health supply chain systems can learn from.