Logistics IT in developing countries

Studies conducted in 70 countries by the World Health Organization report that only 29% of these countries meet the minimum recommended standards for temperature. Due to poor information flows, lack of temperature control systems as well as missing standardized processes including the measurement through Performance Indicators, many medicines in sub-Sahara Africa lose their effectiveness along the supply chain.

In order to meet these challenges, simple and cost-effective ways need to be found. Frequent power outages, low levels of security within warehouses or transportation routes as well as the high variety of temperature during the day need to be taken into account.

In focus of our research stands the usage of Raspberry Pis and Arduino (small, simple and low priced computer) in combination with Sensor Networking.

An in-depth literature analysis as well as an on-location inspection in Cameroon helped to detect the challenges African Health Supply Chain Managers face. The study of the possibilities of a Raspberry Pi in combination with Arduino and Sensor Networking is currently conducted in order to see if these hardware components could help to improve the cold chain challenges of high priced medicines (especially vaccines) in sub-Saharan Africa.

The objective of our research is to find a control system which can be implemented for less than US$ 500 in every supply chain of the world, is easy to implement, easy to use and easy to maintain. Using the obtained data of the Raspberry Pi, indicators can be developed to record historical data and - even more important - to detect the exact source of problems within the cold chain in real-time and to be able to correct them immediately.

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