In June, large shipments of COVID-19 diagnostic tests procured by the Global Fund through our Pooled Procurement Mechanism arrived at the warehouse of a private sector company hired by the National Department of Health in South Africa, to be stored and distributed throughout the country. Part of an order of 648,000 units, these antigen rapid diagnostic test (Ag RDT) kits can detect COVID-19 in under 15 minutes and are a crucial tool for health workers and community health workers on the front lines, as they don’t require a laboratory to obtain the results.
“In Johannesburg, we have quite a few mobile centers where they do COVID-19 testing with the rapid tests,” says John*, the freight forwarding and clearing division general manager of the warehouse where the test kits have arrived. “I drive past them in the mornings, and at 8am there is already a queue of 100 meters of people waiting to be tested.”
However, getting COVID-19 tests from factory to patients is a complex, global endeavor. The test kits delivered in South Africa are manufactured in South Korea, and flown via Ethiopia, to finally arrive at the warehouse in Johannesburg where they are sorted and distributed throughout the country. This requires sophisticated logistics and coordination, and these robust supply chains form a crucial part of the strong health systems that are critical for fighting COVID-19 and other diseases. They are essential to get critical health tools like COVID-19 diagnostics tests, personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and masks, treatments, and vaccines into the hands of trained health workers and community health workers.
Yet supply chains are complex and present several challenges. They can be affected by global events, like the worldwide lack of shipping containers that ensued when COVID-19 hit in 2020, resulting in delays for deliveries of important products like PPE. Local contexts also need to be navigated – in this case, John* alludes to some of the security measures put in place to deal with the very real danger of theft and hijacking, as they are moving items that are in high demand. “That is this sort of sad part that we have to deal with, but I do believe that we have made sufficient steps to counter that threat.”
For that very reason, the names of all of the people featured in this story have been changed, to protect their anonymity.
The people who receive and deliver lifesaving tools like diagnostic tests, PPE, treatments and vaccines do not usually receive much of the limelight. Behind the scenes, these heroes play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the supply chain and broader systems for health that underpin any pandemic response, whether for COVID-19, HIV, TB, or malaria.
“I control the stock coming into the warehouse and check that it is kept in the best condition possible. You must make sure your stock is accurate. Receiving COVID-19 tests kits is stressful – because of the value of the test kits, the importance of them – so we pay a lot of extra attention to the details, to make sure that we are receiving them correctly, and that the quantities are right. Because it is an extremely sensitive product, if you mix a batch and send it out incorrectly there is going to be an issue. We take longer than usual simply because we give that extra attention to this stock coming in, because we know the sensitivity around the product. Other than that, it’s exciting, it’s something new!”
“Working in logistics is unpredictable. You work long hours, early days, late nights… When the COVID-19 test kits started coming in, we had to get some workshops done on how to handle the product, because you don’t want to do it wrong, because you are playing with people’s lives. Being part of this process of delivering test kits, it is massive, you know, it is nice, we are helping people, we are sending this all over Africa, distributing it, it is nice to be part of that. I can always look back and say, ‘I was part of that’, I helped the guys to offload it, get it into trucks, get it delivered, make sure people get tested... Everybody must stick together and help each other. I think being part of moving the COVID-19 test kits, that’s quite awesome, it’s something special, and I think that little bit of help you provide to people, it makes a difference.”
“We have a lot of work, we have a new client – the National Department of Health – and it’s bringing a lot of stock in. Being part of the process of delivery of COVID-19 tests is quite cool because with the coronavirus going on, we get to see that there are solutions, with the COVID-19 test kits coming in.”
“Recently we have started distributing PPE and COVID-19 test kits. That is something incredibly special to me because I have myself had COVID-19 in December. I really took a knock, my family as well, and being a part of something bigger kind of makes you feel good. You know, helping people in the community whereas as an individual you cannot really get to that, but as somebody who is now in this industry, we can do more to help others around us. Allowing medical professionals and families to know their COVID-19 infection status will allow for the correct medical treatment to be administered. So, it is really a special feeling. Being a part of making an impact on our country and its people makes me feel like we are part of a bigger picture and serving a purpose.”
“It’s my responsibility to make sure compliance is met, not just out of a health and safety aspect, but out of a quality assurance aspect, for all the products that come into the warehouse. One of the biggest challenges we face is working in a COVID-19 environment, ensuring that we adhere to all the governmental regulations, as well as working with the equipment that will save lives in South Africa. Sometimes it is quite daunting to come to the office knowing that we form a very intricate part in saving lives and ensuring the fight against COVID-19 is done properly, with the correct quality products.”
“With PPE and test kits there is a lot more involved with quality assurance. We ensure that everybody – all the front line workers – get the best quality PPE and test kits, and we are really uplifting the country. It has been quite a learning experience for me, this is not something that happens every day. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn and go through this experience. Receiving the COVID-19 test kits feels like you’re part of something bigger, and you’re uplifting the nation – and not just South Africa, this is something that affects the entire world, and is something great to be a part of.”
As a founding partner of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-Accelerator), the Global Fund co-leads the Diagnostics Pillar with FIND and plays a critical role in ensuring the delivery of diagnostic tests to countries. In addition, with WHO and the World Bank, the Global Fund co-leads the Health System Connector to strengthen supply chains and equip health care workers with PPE to safely deliver essential health services.
Strong procurement systems and supply chains are essential to ensuring that the right health tools get to the right places at the right time. Through the Pooled Procurement Mechanism and our online procurement platform wambo.org, the Global Fund supports countries to procure lifesaving medicines and health products. As of 01 July 2021, the Global Fund has procured 21.5 million diagnostic tests worldwide.
Offering some final thoughts, John* underscores the importance of well-functioning supply chains. “You have that lifesaving product under your control.” This does not faze him though – instead, he feels excited. “What you are doing for your society and the province and your country is actually lifesaving, it’s making a difference in people’s lives.”
Read more about our response to COVID-19.
*names have been changed for anonymity
© 2026 The Global Fund
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