Logistics in Sub-Saharan Africa

In the countries of the sub-Saharan region, over 90% of medicines are imported by sea. These essential goods are usually on the move for months and are also relatively expensive for the end consumer. The reasons for this can be, for example, the extensive control hurdles, the high customs duties in the transit countries, the lack of logistical infrastructure and the high coordination effort between the actors involved. What is much more dramatic is that these medicines not only do not reach most remote areas, but also that logistical requirements during transport (e.g. compliance with the cold chain) cannot be met. As a result, these medicines that reach the end users hardly meet the quality standard of the World Health Organisation. Consequences can be very dramatic for consumers.

This project focuses on the following question:

How can reliable logistics processes that function with integrity - especially for medicines - be guaranteed at seaports and on the "last mile" in the Sub-Saharan region?

In order to be able to answer this question, research is being carried out in some countries in this region. More information about the project can be found in the summary.

Project duration: until 2020