MIA host workshop on medicine shortages with health care professionals

On a Thursday afternoon 17 September MIA-researchers and more than 20 health care professionals gathered for a digital workshop on measures to improve access to medicines in the wake of Covid-19. The health care professionals and practitioners represented health authorities in Norway and Ethiopia and joined to share their experience from managing supply chain issues that have accrued during the coronavirus pandemic.

Project leader Prof. Marianne Jahre started by formally introducing the MIA-project to stakeholders and describing the format of the workshop. Due to the great geographical distance between participants as well as the social distancing guidelines in Norway, the meeting was organized 100% digitally.

In the workshop participants were split into five pre-assigned groups, matching researchers, Norwegian and Ethiopian practitioners together. The goal of the workshops were to test out early research hypotheses on practitioners, get feedback on overall research questions as well as sharing experience. Both Norwegian and Ethiopian practitioners shared valuable lessons learned during the coronavirus pandemic and the related lock-downs during the spring.   

Among the Norwegian organizations present were the Norwegian Directorate of Health, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Hospital Procurement (Sykehusinnkjøp), Hospital Pharmacies as well as the Norwegian Medicines Agency. On the Ethiopian side practitioners from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency, Jimma Medical Center as well as from St.Pauls Hospital Millennium Medical College provided their input.