UNICEF and the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF) support Madagascar in facilitating the import of medicines and other health products into the country

Antananarivo, 18 November 2024 – At two workshops in Tamatave and Antananarivo, alongside representatives of the government, the private sector and partners, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF), examined the bottlenecks that create difficulties for importing health products into Madagascar and the solutions to be found.

Despite considerable efforts made by the various institutions involved, the processes for importing essential goods, in particular health products, remain cumbersome, lengthy and costly. Various administrative, logistical and regulatory obstacles cause significant delays in the availability of these critical products. They limit the effectiveness of health interventions, depriving communities of the assistance they need, be it medicines, medical devices, therapeutic food or medical equipment.

The three-day workshops provided an opportunity to assess the current environment of the supply chain and review the various procedures in order to identify practical and easily applicable solutions to streamline the process.

Members of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation and UNICEF staff also visited the port of Tamatave to see the situation first-hand and understand the factors that can delay or speed up procedures.

The two workshops resulted in recommendations which should be implemented in 2024 and 2025 to improve the coordination and efficiency of customs clearance for health products, including medicines, medical devices, cold chain equipment for vaccines and various other equipment.

For UNICEF, a long-standing partner of the Ministry of Public Health, this step is important because it enables greater efficiency and ensures that beneficiaries are reached in a timely manner, avoiding delays in the implementation of programmes, whether vaccination campaigns or interventions for maternal and child health. Improving the import process would also avoid additional demurrage charges when containers cannot be unloaded on time and would limit the risk of reducing the shelf life of products.

These consultations took place in a spirit of collaboration, involving all stakeholders, including the government, the private sector and development partners, with the conviction that joint efforts can lead to improved supply chain efficiency and thus enable the entire population to have better access to the essential products they need.