3 Questions with Jiru Bako on Strengthening the Nigerian Health System

1. What drew you to work in health supply chains? My background is in pharmacy. As a pharmacist, I had experiences in hospitals that brought me in contact with patients. I also noticed the effects of a broken supply chain system on their health and needs. I have always liked to assist people and make…

Jiru Bako

Jiru Bako is the Deputy Country Director for Program Operations at the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project in Nigeria. He brings more than 20 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical and public health supply chain sector in Nigeria. Before joining Chemonics, he worked as the Nigeria Country Director for…

Climate Monitoring of Ambient Health Commodities Through the Supply Chain

Throughout the health supply chain, pharmaceutical commodities are exposed to many varying climate conditions — such as temperature, humidity, light, pressure, and shock — that could potentially affect their integrity and efficacy. The Climate Monitoring of Ambient Health Commodities through the Supply Chain study aims to provide new data and analysis for supply chain actors…

News: Chemonics Selected by USAID to Strengthen Health Systems in Senegal

Chemonics is pleased to announce the award and launch of the USAID-funded Central-Level Health Systems Strengthening project in Senegal. The project will support Senegal’s Ministry of Health and Social Action to make meaningful, sustainable improvements to the country’s health system. The five-year, $19.9 million project will enable national-level stakeholders to participate in improving accountability and…

Modernizing the Family Planning Supply Chain in Pakistan

Noor is a young woman studying to become a nurse in Lahore, Pakistan. She will get married in two months, but she still has a year and a half of school before graduating as a nurse and wants to wait until after that to have a family. Today, she is visiting a health facility to…

3 Questions with Markos Layton: Ensuring Oxygen Availability to Save Lives

During the COVID-19 pandemic, oxygen has been a critical global commodity used to relieve patients of acute respiratory difficulties caused by the virus. Following the recent release of the USAID Implementation Plan for the U.S. COVID-19 Global Response and Recovery Framework, we sat down with Oxygen Deputy Team Lead Markos Layton to hear about his…

Chemonics’ Work in Malaria

We envision a world without malaria. Chemonics seeks to contribute to its control and elimination through innovative and proven approaches that prevent, detect, and treat malaria infections, and prevent malaria-related deaths in the countries where we work. We develop strategic local and international partnerships, invest in health and information systems, and establish a culture of…

The Malaria Vaccine Is Here, Finally. What Next?

Globally, malaria is endemic in more than 100 countries, and responsible for over 200 million cases and 400,000 deaths annually. The disease disproportionately impacts children, with 67% of deaths caused by malaria occurring among children under the age of five. Simply put, a child dies from malaria every two minutes. Even though proven treatment and prevention interventions, such as case…

Tesfaye Seifu

Tesfaye Seifu is a health supply chain leader and expert with nearly 21 years of health supply chain and pharmacy services experience, including 11 years implementing USAID-funded health supply chain  projects in Ethiopia.