Dear Friends, Colleagues,
It’s my distinct pleasure to round off this year with you all! Happy Holidays everyone!
I have so much to share since the last time I emailed; our new editorial calendar went into operation in October with the fun article from Carolyn Hart. Our first ever IAPHL Resource Digest was posted a few days ago; thanks to GHSC-PSM. If you missed those please take some time to check them out. The IAPHL Resource Digest provides quarterly pick of articles, research findings and other materials for your learning pleasureJ. Your thoughts and feedback will help build a useful tool for members so please send us your thoughts.
We had a really busy calendar over the last couple of months. Courtesy the BMGF, IAPHL attended the last APICS conference and the BMGF partners’ forum in Chicago. It was an amazing opportunity to showcase IAPHL vision, mission and activities; how over 6000 members are supporting each other with improved learning in health supply chain they can in turn strengthen the supply chains in which they work. As we know, knowledgeable health supply chain operators is intrinsic to achieving Universal Health Coverage. No positive health outcomes without quality health products!
I want to add my voice to the members who send thank you mails to their colleagues who have promptly responded to their questions/requests for tools and or resources, to say thank you so very much! Highly appreciatedJJ
Then on November 17th, the IAPHL Nigeria country chapter conducted the first ever country chapter workshop with support from GHSC-PSM and ARC in Nigeria. Read more about the workshop here. Special thank you to the panelists and presenters. I am humbled by the zest and hard work that the workshop subcommittee put in to put up such a successful workshop. They are some of my most valuable members this yearJJJ
In our second effort this year, IAPHL supported a member each from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Cameroon and Swaziland to participate in the GHSCS 2018 in Lusaka. You probably enjoyed the postings of their experience at the conference. Many, many, thanks to Guylene, Pasi, Lameck, Akbar and Pholile for this. See their reports for more details. During the GHSCS, IAPHL made a number of presentations and participated in a couple of panel discussions. Many thanks to Prof Yehuda and his team for the opportunities. A big thank you to all of you who stopped me to introduce yourselves and chat a bit in Lusaka and Cape TownJ.
Our Advisory Group (AG) members are much appreciated for their time and commitment as the brain-trust of our association. Our last IAPHL Advisory Group meeting was conducted on the side-lines of the GHSCS in Lusaka. Key agreements and planned next steps are included in this version of the IAPHL activities updates presented at this meeting. Special thanks to Peter Bolstorff of ASCM who kindly joined the last IAPHL Advisory Group meeting as an observer and was really helpful with reviewing and updating our 2019 IAPHL Sponsorship Packages. If your organization would like to support IAPHL, please let me know and I can reach out to you specially to explore the various options in details.
I’d like to acknowledge with thanks, the over 40 members who attended the IAPHL event in Lusaka! We had great fun, conversations and very significantly, we launched the IAPHL Zambia country chapter. This brings our country chapters to 9 at the moment with 7 more working their way to initiate theirs. Absolutely outstanding work from the country leaders who work very hard to support the chapters. If your organization would like to house a country chapter please reach out to me at liz_igharo@jsi.com
Last Saturday, IAPHL joined Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work of their staff and stakeholders in their march towards health supply chain transformation. It was my distinct pleasure and honor to present an award to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’i for his outstanding commitment and support of health supply chain transformation as one of the key pillars to improve health outcomes for the people of Kaduna State
Much appreciations to the 4 members who have contributed the most since September 20th; Peter Babigumira Ahabwe. Andrew Brown, Dorica Chifundo Salamba and Joel Kalyoka Simbiye
Remember to save the date of the next HHL Conference that IAPHL is co-organizingJ
We here at the IAPHL secretariat, wish you all great happiness, joy and good health during the holiday season and throughout 2019!!
We would love to hear from you; just email us/me at liz_igharo@jsi.com
With warm regards,
Liz Igharo
Executive Director, IAPHL
December 20, 2018