American People Partner with Tanzanians and Global Fund to Modernize Medical Stores Department Warehouse

February 9, 2013

Minister of Health and Social Welfare Hussein Ali Mwinyi, (3rd from left), cutting a ribbon at the Medical Stores Department (MSD) Warehouse while the U.S. Ambassador Alfonso E. Lenhardt, (2nd from right), witnessing.

On February 9, Ambassador Alfonso E. Lenhardt and Guest of Honor the Minister of Health and Social Welfare Hussein Ali Mwinyi attended the opening ceremony of the new Medical Stores Department Warehouse at Keko in Dar es Salaam. The state-of-the-art structure is sponsored by the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Fund in partnership with Tanzanians.

This 4,656 square meter warehouse is one of five warehouses to be constructed throughout Tanzania – the other warehouses are located in Zanzibar, Mwanza, Mbeya, and Dodoma. In addition to increasing the physical space, USAID is providing in-warehouse management training to Medical Stores Department staff. Ongoing warehouse management support will be provided through Supply Chain Monitoring Advisors who will be based at the Medical Stores Department to provide technical and inventory management assistance.

In his remarks, Ambassador Lenhardt noted that “The American people, through USAID, have helped Tanzania make health solutions a reality. Whether it is HIV, malaria, family planning or maternal and child health care, we are happy and proud to have provided a means to safely store and manage health commodities with the public health supply chain.”

The opportunity to assist the Medical Stores Department arose in early 2011. After a review of the Central Medical Stores USAID Tanzania deemed the warehouse to be in need for substantial renovation and rehabilitation in order to be acceptable. The new structure is fully equipped with a computerized inventory system, air conditioning, security systems, racking, and material handling. It can hold 5,143 pallets and has 433 bays.

The program to strengthen Tanzania's health sector was part of the United States' overall annual development assistance to Tanzania, which was approximately one trillion shillings ($760 million USD) in fiscal year 2012.