Powering self-reliance in health supply chains
Lessons from Project Last Mile’s support to South Africa’s Central Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) programme.
Global Health Supply Chain 2025 | Kigali, Rwanda
NOVEMBER 2021 – present
Global partners:
Project Last Mile leverages private sector expertise for public health systems across Africa
Global Health Supply Chain 2025 | Kigali Rwanda
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Our reach
46M+
LIVES REACHED
65
PROJECTS
17
COUNTRIES
We don’t do this alone.
Our impact is built on collaboration with Ministries of Health, funders, enterprises, the Coca-Cola system and health innovators.
Since 2016, Project Last Mile has:
PROJECT LAST MILE
Decentralizing access to chronic medicines for universal health coverage
The Central Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution program, or CCMDD, was created to expand access through community Pick-up Points (PuPs).
Global Health Supply Chain 2025 | Kigali Rwanda
85% of the South African population is serviced through Public Health facilities, with an estimated burden of 18 million people requiring chronic therapies
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18 M+
South Africans rely on chronic medication
PROJECT LAST MILE
Moving from clinic-based dispensing to patient-centered access.
Global Health Supply Chain 2025 | Kigali Rwanda
Leveraging public-private partnerships has enabled alternative access to chronic medication for 3.7 million patients
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PATIENT
Facility
6-month prescription
Courier or online
Central dispensing
Prepacked
medicine parcel
Courier
Adherence Club
Pick-up point
Facility
Fast Queue
Decanting modalities
Green = Public
Red = Private
PROJECT LAST MILE
PROJECT LAST MILE
PLM’s support of the CCMDD program has enabled the NDOH to rapidly scale a differentiated service delivery program in partnership with the private sector
Global Health Supply Chain 2025 | Kigali Rwanda
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2,910
external pick-up points
of all patients on antiretroviral treatment
receive their medication through CCMDD
50%
3.7 M+
patients served
64%
of CCMDD patients collect from Private Sector PuPs
PROJECT LAST MILE
Global Health Supply Chain 2025 | Kigali Rwanda
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South Africa
Challenge: Facility-based medicine collection created barriers for people living with HIV and chronic conditions – especially men – resulting in poor adherence and overburdened clinics.
Project Last Mile’s approach�With USAID, the National Department of Health and NGO partners, Project Last Mile supported the CCMDD program by applying Coca-Cola’s strategic marketing expertise..
Using strategic marketing to increase uptake of chronic �medicine and services
MINA campaign reached 4 million men via TV, radio and digital channels
91% of men living with HIV were familiar with MINA messaging
Within 3 quarters, men’s HIV testing, treatment initiation and return to care increased, reversing historic trends
Dablapmeds activated in 1,800+ facilities nationwide
Results (as of Jan 2025)
Project Last Mile’s insight-driven marketing helped normalize treatment, increase patient registrations and strengthen adherence by transforming how services are communicated.
831,000 new patient registrations (+21%)
220,000 patients now collect medication at external pick-up points
2.2 million people reached via Dablapmeds radio campaign
95% of patients and clinicians aware of Dablapmeds post-launch
PROJECT LAST MILE
Four-pronged approach:
Building systems that last beyond technical support.
Global Health Supply Chain 2025 | Kigali Rwanda
Adapting Coca-Cola’s supply chain principles for public health
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Digital optimization & data for decision-making
Developed dashboards to monitor pick-up point performance, stock distribution, patient growth, and provider compliance. Used supply and patient data to inform expansion decisions and mitigate stockouts.
Differentiated service delivery
Introduced principles of route optimization, inventory tracking, and delivery service level agreements. Supported partnerships with private community pharmacies to decentralize medicine access.
Strategic marketing & demand generation Adapting commercial best practices in market research and strategic marketing and communications to understand and engage customers and patients.
Workforce development & capacity building
Conducted mentoring and training of provincial and service provider stakeholders. Embedded performance review systems to enhance local ownership of logistics processes.
PROJECT LAST MILE
South Africa’s model: replicable and scalable
Embedded, sustainable and nationally owned.
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Private logistics integrated into public systems
South Africa
Drone delivery
Rwanda
Community health worker delivery
Uganda
PROJECT LAST MILE
Building blocks for sustainable health supply chains
Lessons learned:
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Align incentives across sectors
Drive local ownership
Use date transparency to improve accountability
Design for flexibility
Requires buy-in and partnership from Ministries of Health
PROJECT LAST MILE
Scaling proven models through Next Mile Ventures
Backing bold innovators to scale bold solutions
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PROJECT LAST MILE
Let’s co-design resilient, patient-centered supply chains
Together, we can power self-reliance in health supply chains.
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Scale what works
Fund innovation
Drive local capacity
PROJECT LAST MILE
Strengthening systems for the people we serve
Together, we can power self-reliance in health supply chains.
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PROJECT LAST MILE
Find out more at
www.projectlastmile.com
Global partners: