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A weekly development news platform published by UrgeDevWire, produced by Urge Communications. Covering wider East African region.

Inside Health News Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire

Gavi launches new supply chain strategy, citing gains in Rwanda, Tanzania and South Sudan

Geneva, 1 July 2026

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance unveiled a new Immunisation Supply Chain Strategy for its 2026 to 2030 strategic period, aimed at reducing stock outs, improving cold chain efficiency and strengthening equitable vaccine access in underserved communities. Thabani Maphosa, Gavi's Chief Country Delivery Officer, said the strategy is built around integrating supply chains, data platforms and delivery routes so that systems function together at the point of delivery to communities.

Gavi said real time cold chain monitoring devices deployed across 43 countries have cut vaccine losses by up to 80 percent, while outsourcing last mile delivery to private logistics firms in Ethiopia more than doubled vaccine availability there while cutting cost per mile. Rwanda, Tanzania and Nigeria have begun connecting electronic logistics management systems, health information systems and temperature monitoring into single digital platforms under a joint initiative with the Global Fund and the UNICEF Supply Division.

Gavi said warehouse capacity in South Sudan has been expanded from 2,700 to 4,700 square metres, with a growing share of such infrastructure powered by solar energy. Drone delivery of vaccines, first piloted in Rwanda, has since expanded to Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire, with more than 23 million doses delivered by drone to date.

Source: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Inside Health News Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire