Coordinated Response to Cyclone Idai in Mozambique Provides Model for Supply Chain Emergency Response .

Cyclone Idai caused significant structural damage to warehouses and buildings managed by Mozambique’s Central Medical Store. Following the cyclone an emergency response plan of action resulted, which continued through final infrastructure repair in December 2019.

On March 14, 2019, Cyclone Idai made landfall near the port city of Beira, Mozambique. The severe storm flooded roads and highways, destroyed bridges, and caused landslides and mudslides, in addition to significant structural damage to warehouses and buildings managed by the country’s Central Medical Store (Central de Medicamentos e Artigos Médicos, or CMAM), with the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project’s support. In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, CMAM faced significant initial hurdles, including staff being personally affected, telecommunication issues, and lack of electricity. In the weeks following, a shortage of fuel, damaged warehouses, dysfunctional equipment, and difficulties navigating accessing emergency funds. Following Cyclone Idai, CMAM and GHSC-PSM developed and implemented a plan of action which encompassed activities from assessing warehouse damages and needs, implementing warehouse management software, and initiating repairs of damaged regional warehouses’ infrastructure to sharing data with key emergency stakeholders and recovering medicines affected by damaged boxes. This document gives a detailed look at how the emergency plan of action was implemented, lessons learned for future emergency responses, and steps that can be take in advance to prepare for a natural disaster or other emergency.