In the first quarter of 2009, the General Planning and Financial and Accounting departments of IMPE Quy Nhon jointly organized the monitoring and evaluation on management and allocation of equipment, materials and budgets under the National Malaria Control Programme and the National Helminthiasis Control Project in two Central provinces of Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue.
At the Provincial Malaria Centre
As usual, the monitoring and evaluation was carried out from the provincial malaria control centres (PMC) and two randomly selected district health centres (DHC) of the two provinces. In Thua Thien-Hue province, A Luoi DHC was selected whereas Tra My DHC chosen for Quang Nam province.
In general, the plannings for allocation of antimalarial drugs, insecticides and other materials on the quarter and annual basis were well prepared by the PMCs. By checking the allocated figures from the records of IMPE against those at the PMCs, the inspection group found no differences in the amounts of drugs, chemicals stocked in and out. At the direct stock-take, the amounts of inventory items matched with the balance of the stocks in and out. There were not inventory stocks in large amount, especially those of expiry or liquidation.
Total population protected by insecticides and doses of drugs used and blood slides examined
In 2008, the total population protected by insecticide reached the planned figure, at 89.70% in Quang Nam and 95.30% in Thua Tien-Hue province, respectively. Regarding the total population to be protected by insecticides in 2009, there have been no reports as the PMCs are deploying the first quarter planned activities. In addition, the first quarter of 2009 saw the lower-than-the-plan amount of drugs used for malaria treatment and prevention compared with last year period: 8.81% vs. 35.88% in Quang Nam and 23.99% vs. 48.14% in Thua Thien-Hue. For the examined blood slides, the two provinces reached the planned figures for the first quarter of 2009.
The utility of malaria control budgets for 2008 and the first quarter of 2009
In 2008, Quang Nam achieved only 60.82% of the annually budgetary finance and 53.47% of the in kind budget. These low percentages were due to late drawn balancesheet. In the first quarter of 2009, the disbursement of these budgets were low, at 3.2 % and 4.91%, respectively against the plan. Meanwhile in Thua Thien-Hue, the budgetary finance of 2008 was as high at 94% and the in-kind budget reached 101% (including remained stock from 2007). In the first quarter of 2009, the budgetary finance hasn't been reported and budget in kind was 67.66%.
Like the upper level, the DHCs also drew the quarter and annual plans for receiving and allocating malaria drugs, insecticide and equipment to communes of interests. From the checking of the figures at PMCs against those at DHCs, there were no disparities in the amounts of the stocks in store. It was also similar to the PMCs that there were no stocks out-of-date in store.
In 2008, the DHCs reached 100% of the budgetary finance; and for the first quarter of 2009, Nam Tra My DHC (Quang Nam province) achieved 83.42% of the budgetary finance, while A Luoi DHC (Thua Thien-Hue province) returned no report.
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The Institute's staff in a meeting with the provincial
malaria control centre of Quang Nam. | The Institute's staff in a meeting with the provincial
malaria control centre of Thua Thien-Hue. |
Comments
1. In general, among the two investigated provinces, Thua Thien Hue PMC carried out well the supplies and distribution of anti-malaria drugs, insecticides, materials to districts which satisfied demands of grassroots levels. The management and utilisation of stocks guaranteed the Malaria Control Project's regulations, and there were no expired stocks;
2. The District Health Centres performed the satisfactory management, inspection and allocation of drugs, insecticides, materials and fundings to villages and communes. However, the DHC of Nam Tra Mi (Quang Nam) hadn't made any plan for allocation of drugs, insecticide, materials to communes; but distributed based on the monthly estimation of communes.
3. However, it should be noticeable that the record books on supply and distribution of drugs, insecticides and materials haven't been placed in order. Also, the generation of reports on balance sheet, on the use of drugs, insecticide, and materials as well as the budgetary finance was still late.
Recommendations
1. In the first quarter of 2009, the used anti-malaria drugs of Quang Nam and TT-H provinces achieved approximately low, at 16.40%. Therefore, the PMCs should pay attention on strengthening the utilisation and supply of anti-malaria drugs for self-treatment and gerenation of reports on time.
2. The PMC of Quang Nam should make plans on allocation of anti-malaria drugs, insecticide and materials to districts, communes together with guidance for better use of the allocated budgets.
3. There should be re-arrangements of record books and vouchers, as well as reports on inventory stocks in store. Information on stock cards should be frequently updated, and more shelves should be equipped to facilitate better preservation of drugs and insecticides.
4. Better allocation of stocked anthelmintic drugs should be made to prevent waste or loss due to expiry.
5. There should be books on monitoring the in-kind budgets for prompt reports to IMPE as being regulated.