Strengthen global supply system

WE often take for granted how global supply chains have made modern life as convenient as it is.
As Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, the executive director of the Apec secretariat puts it, at a whim, we can go online and have anything – a book, an item of clothing, tools, medication – delivered from across town or even from around the globe.
Our local markets and retailers are stocked with goods from everywhere, covering every desire of need which may arise during our day-to-day lives.
Today, PNG and the rest of the world, are living through a period of great need.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us that global medical supply chains – crucial in the fight against this and future pandemics – may still have vulnerabilities, bottlenecks and integrity issues.
Many around the world have not been spared shortages of medical equipment, medicines and basic protective equipment.
Given that the medical products industry has now become more specialised as well as globalised, many around the world increasingly rely on the global marketplace for basic health needs.
We’ve not seen this dependence in full effect as we do now, considering the Covid-19.
There are many predictions about the effects of this pandemic, including whether it will reverse globalisation and erode trust in global supply chains.
This period of uncertainty should be looked upon as an opportunity to strengthen the systems that we’ve grown to rely on so much over the years and more so now during a crisis.
This could mean setting clear-cut standards and comprehensive security programmes to build more resilient supply chains that facilitate the steady flow of medicine, vaccines, and personal protective equipment.
Done right, these measures will strengthen the credibility and transparency of these supply chains.
Positive changes of this sort will go a long way in galvanising trust in our system, processes and procedures, in so doing have us in a state of preparedness in the event of future health crises.
Dr Sta Maria writes that Apec has several tools in place that can help economies find such solutions.
Specifically, an already existing supply chain security toolkit, which sets protocols and serves as a roadmap for the promotion of global medical product quality and supply chain security.
Apec initiatives are designed through and encourage cooperation and are often conceived through consultation with multiple sectors.
As a collection of economies that account for almost 60 per cent of the world trade and 40 per cent of its population, Apec itself is very diverse.
This toolkit established alongside regulators, industry stakeholders, representatives from non-governmental organisations, international organisations, and academics, aims to maximise the use of public and private partnerships and other available resources.
All in all, the toolkit is intended to cover the entire supply chain and life cycle of medical products.
Industry, policy makers, and regulators, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), now see the crucial and immediate need to address disruptions to the smooth flow and movement of medical supplies globally, as well as the appearance of illegitimate products.
The implementation of the Apec supply chain security toolkit can surely make supply chains more secure.
This toolkit, relevant as it is, was endorsed in 2017.
Clearly there are still gaps that need to be filled and now is the best time to address them.
PNG is part of the Apec economies and should tap into this.