30 August 2018 – In the interest of improving planning, management and monitoring medicines and other supplies management capacity in Libya,  a joint government and WHO assessment was conducted in a public warehouse under the European Union-funded “Shams project.” 

The approximately 1160 square metre warehouse is scheduled to be refurbished in order to safely pre-position medicine supplies and equipment, especially emergency contingency stocks to align them with international supply chain protocols and standards. Special emphasis will be given to assuring the effectiveness of the temperature and cold chain mechanisms.

Once the warehouse is up to standard, it will be able to store more than 1000 metric tons of medicine, that will enhance the preparedness, contingency stocks and crises management in any emergency threshold with sufficient quantity and quality and improved transparency of supply chain systems. Apart from storage capacity, the WHO assessment team, comprising engineers and health technical officers, assessed the premises regarding human resources capability, potential hazards, and ventilation and emergency exits in order to assure compliance with international safety protocols. 

The European Union is supporting health systems through the “Shams Project” in Libya and as a component of the project; quality of supply chain management is one of the key interventions. The project is also focused on improving management and quality of the health information system. This targets all areas of the health information system’s integration of technology through technical solutions such as the District Health Information System.