• DRC launches pilot digital system for health supply chains
• LOGIMEV tracks medicine and vaccine stocks in real time
• Pilot begins in Kinshasa and Maniema before nationwide rollout

The Democratic Republic of Congo launched the pilot phase of LOGIMEV in Kinshasa last week. The digital system is designed to modernize the management of health supply chains.

Developed on the OpenLMIS platform with support from several international partners, the solution aims to improve the monitoring of drug and vaccine stocks and strengthen supply chain data flows across the Congolese health system.

"This event marks a decisive step for the supply chain of health products within the Ministry of Health. Through this initiative, we will progressively have an integrated system capable of providing reliable, real-time logistics data to support decision-making at every level of our health system," said Dr. Body Ilonga, Secretary-General at the Ministry of Health.

The project is led by the Ministry of Public Health and implemented with support from partners including Gavi, UNICEF, VillageReach and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). Authorities describe the initiative as part of efforts to digitize the national health system, with the goal of centralizing logistics data and making it available in real time to improve decision-making.

The system is designed to track 154 products across 14 national programs, including the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). The pilot phase will be rolled out in the provinces of Kinshasa and Maniema before a gradual nationwide expansion. The project is part of the National Health Development Plan 2024-2033, which calls for the modernization of management tools and infrastructure in the sector.

The initiative comes as several African countries accelerate efforts to digitize their health systems to improve the availability of medicines and the management of vaccination campaigns. Stock shortages and supply chain weaknesses remain among the main barriers to healthcare access on the continent, according to the World Health Organization. Digital logistics management platforms are increasingly being deployed to improve supply chain visibility and reduce losses of health products.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where logistical challenges remain significant because of the country's size and the difficulty of reaching some areas, authorities hope digitization will improve the availability of vaccines and medicines at health facilities. In the longer term, LOGIMEV could also improve interoperability between health programs and strengthen the resilience of the Congolese health system.

Samira Njoya