January 30, 2024

USAID’s $9.5B supply chain vision unraveled at the expense of lives worldwide and billions of dollars wasted

In 2015, USAID unveiled the largest contract in its history, aimed at transforming health supply chains in lower-income countries. It has not gone according to plan. In 2017, it was clear the project was failing. During its worst quarter, only 7% of its shipments arrived at their destinations on time and in full. Project leaders scrambled as multiple countries ran short of essential health products and faced stockouts.

A recent public narrative of recovery is called into doubt by a new investigation, which raises significant questions about the project’s performance. And yet, the entities that developed this project are preparing to go ahead with an even more expensive one. Stringent oversight by Congress and other watchdogs is sorely needed. The shortcomings of the USAID project underscore the urgent need for comprehensive aid reform to address systemic issues.

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Read the full article by Michael Igoe, Ben Stockton, and Misbah Khan