Strengthening immunization programs through innovative sub-national public-private partnerships in selected provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: Low immunization coverage rates in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been reflective of challenges with vaccine access, support and delivery in the country. Motivated by measles and vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) outbreaks in 2016-17 and low vaccination rates, the provinces of Haut Lomami and Tanganyika were identified as pilot locations for an innovative approach focused on establishing a consortium of partners supporting local government. This approach was formalized through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Provincial governments in 2018.

Leading from all levels: building supply chain leadership capacity in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

A well-functioning supply chain is a critical component of the health system to ensure high-quality medicines and health products are available when and where they are needed. However, because supply chains are complex systems, strong, competent leaders are needed to drive continuous improvement efforts. This paper documents the learnings from a supply chain leadership intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which aimed to build leadership capacity in a cross-tier group of central/provincial/district-level leaders.