A little over a year ago the World Health Organization’s regional office for Africa launched its warehouse in Nairobi where it houses medical supplies to help the continent respond to health emergencies faster.
Before this, WHO AFRO’s operations relied on the agency’s global warehouse in Dubai as well as a warehouse in Accra, Ghana, which the UN World Food Programme manages.
It previously took WHO about 45 days to deliver medical supplies to an African country experiencing a health emergency — but now the Nairobi hub can ship supplies in only 72 hours, said Thiam Adama, head of emergency operations and logistics support for WHO in the Africa region, known as WHO AFRO, during a webinar last week.