In a shs28 billion ARV supply arrangement, the Joint Medical Store joins forces with USAID

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The Joint Medical Store (JMS) has signed a five-year contract with USAID Uganda to acquire and supply antiretroviral medications and other HIV-related goods valued at Shs28 billion.

Through JMS and Medical Access Uganda Limited (MAUL), the initiative intends to provide efficient and timely procurement of HIV commodities financed by USAID for the Private Not for Profit (PNFP) sector.

The first shipment, consisting 298,000 TLD 90 packets and 142,000 ALD 30 packets worth around $8 million, was turned over to USAID on Tuesday, which then passed it over to the Ministry of Health.

Dr.Bildard Baguma, JMS Executive Director, spoke at the event and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to ensuring the project’s efficient implementation.

“We will do everything possible to ensure that these commodities are delivered on time and in full in accordance with our agreements. Indeed, the first cargo was delivered in accordance with these commitments,” Baguma stated.

The cooperation, he said, demonstrates the trust that Joint Medical Store has earned as a vital stakeholder in Uganda’s health system.

“JMS has been a non-profit entity for 42 years, serving as the supply chain logistics arm for the private not-for-profit health sector. It was founded by the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau and Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau to serve as the supply chain logistics arm for the private not-for-profit health sector. We’ve evolved into an alternative warehouse and distribution arm for the health sector over the years,” he said.

“We are convinced that USAID’s approach to self-sufficiency is the right one, and we will do everything we can to reinforce your view that this approach is both possible and effective.”
Richard L. Nelson, the director of the USAID Mission, stated that the agency will continue to collaborate with various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa on projects that benefit the local community.

“USAID is focusing on working with Sub-Saharan African countries to quickly prepare local organizations and government entities to serve as prime partners for USAID and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programming, including strengthening their capabilities and resources to address HIV within their populations,” he said.

Hanifa Kawooya, the State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties, emphasized the importance of the private non-profit sector in providing health services in the country.

“Government recognizes the importance of private non-profit health facilities, particularly the long-term partnership that government has had with the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau and Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, and by extension with JMS, with whom my Ministry has a Memorandum of Understanding to support procurement, warehousing, and distribution of health commodities,” Minister Kawooya said.

She urged Joint Medical Store, on the other hand, to complete the five-year initiative successfully in order to gain the trust of development partners on the path to self-sufficiency.