IRC offers USD $25K for your ideas on better medical supply packaging in underserved communities
Do you have an innovative solution that will improve the supply chain in last-mile medicine delivery in Sierra Leone and beyond? The International Rescue Committee (IRC) welcomes novel ideas and concepts, adaptations of technology, or commercially available existing solutions. Your solution could win up to (USD) $25,000!
Innovative Packaging for Last Mile Medical Supply Delivery – US$25,000 prize. Closes 9th October.
Delivering medical supplies and drugs requires an efficient and safe supply chain – from packaging through to transport and delivery at the last mile. In Sierra Leone, ground teams report that medicines, drugs, and other important supplies often arrive damaged or do not arrive at all. This potentially limits the delivery and access to life-saving drugs by people living in under-served communities.
To make these last mile deliveries more reliable, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is searching for innovative and affordable packaging that will protect and track supplies at every stage. From packing at distribution centers to the clinics where they are used, being able to track healthcare supplies, keep them safe from shocks, and ensure their packaging is tamper proof will result in more successful deliveries.
The IRC is searching for packaging solutions that will have the following features:
- Trackability – whether real-time, during transport, or reporting at time of departure and at end point of delivery,
- Resistance – ensuring contents are protected from tampering, shock, rain, dust, temperatures outside of 15-30 degrees Celsius and weather,
- Reuse – allowing for reuse of the packaging for more than one distribution cycle,
- Affordability – priced at a relevant cost point of no more than US$14.80 per year per solution, inclusive of its tracking functionality.
Visit the Showcase to learn more and submit your solution!
