Vaccines have greatly contributed to the control of vaccine preventable diseases. The adoption of the Decade of Vaccines (DoV) by the World Health Assembly in 2011 is an indication of how the global community values the benefits of vaccines. Efforts by many countries to introduce new vaccines are a significant move towards attaining this vision. However, new vaccines put strain on vaccine supply chains. The immunization programme in South Africa has similar challenges, with indications of vaccine stock outs in clinics since the introduction of three new vaccines in 2009. This study set out to establish the status of availability of vaccines in Tshwane government clinics and associated factors. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of randomly selected government clinics in Tshwane health district of Gauteng province. Data was collected using a structured measurement instrument during a visit to each of the participating clinics. Data was collated and analysed using excel based software. Results: A total of 31 clinics participated. In the preceding 12 months, clinics experienced vaccine stock outs, especially of the 3 new vaccines: pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), rotavirus (RV) vaccine and Pentaxim ®. These were also out of stock for a long duration; for over 2 weeks in a majority of clinics. The causes of vaccine stock outs were: poor management of stock, depot out of stock, unreliable deliveries, lack of pharmacy assistants, and limited fridge capacity. Further burdening the situation is the emergency ordering system that does not function effectively. Conclusion: Significant vaccine shortages occur in Tshwane government clinics. It is recommended that the vaccine supply chain should be restructured and overhauled with the use of advances in technology. Urgent measures should be taken to address the identified causes of stock outs including ensuring reliable deliveries of stock and emergency orders.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nmmu/vital:26447 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Ngcobo, Ntombenhle Judith |
| Publisher | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MBA |
| Format | vii, 95 leaves, pdf |
| Rights | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
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