SureDose

Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN)

SureDose

Real-time data insights empower communities to ensure the quality and safety of vital antibiotics

Nairobi, Kenya

KEN

Nonprofit

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Antibiotic Resistance (AMR) is a growing global crisis, exacerbated by the widespread circulation of S/F antibiotics, which are difficult to detect and track across fragmented supply chains (SC) especially in low- and middle-income countries with weak pharmaceutical oversight. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Kenya and Cameroon, S/F medicines are alarmingly common. A study in Cameroon found 8.5% of samples failed U.S. Pharmacopeia standards, 11.7% failed dissolution tests, and 28.2% from informal vendors were out of specification. The latter highlights the significant role of unregulated markets in this crisis. Across LMICs, an estimated 18.7% of medicines are S/F, contributing to over 500,000 deaths globally each year. These statistics underscore the urgent need for better medicine quality and traceability. Without improvements in pharmaceutical manufacturing, distribution practices, and quality testing capabilities, the scale of the crisis will continue to grow, threatening health systems both locally and globally. Regulators are unable to act promptly on local failures, and community members have no clear means to report suspicious medicines or supply disruptions. This gap not only endangers lives but undermines the overall response to AMR.

Our solution is a modular digital platform that enhances monitoring and visualization of antibiotic quality. It will integrate data from EPN’s GPHF Minilabs with community pharmacy and wholesaler inventory systems, allowing stakeholders to detect and respond to poor quality antibiotics at every stage of the supply chain. It will also capture data from high-risk unregulated sectors, e.g informal vendors, through targeted sampling and community reporting, recognizing these as high-risk points for circulation of poor quality antibiotics. At its core is a centralized dashboard that visualizes batch-level test results by product, location, and date. It alerts users to failed batches, supports safe procurement with smart prompts and embedded workflows, and uses targeted sampling to focus on high-risk areas and common antibiotics. Built-in analytics track trends and hotspots, while community feedback is gathered via SMS and WhatsApp for real world inputs. The platform runs on Field’s existing SC infrastructure, already in use across Africa and works both online and offline. By integrating quality assurance with daily supply operations, the platform boosts transparency, medicine safety, and data visibility to inform regulation. Public-facing features and secure dashboards ensure access and accountability, creating a smarter, more resilient antibiotic supply system.

Our solution delivers the public good of improved access to quality-assured antibiotics in LMICs by establishing a transparent digital platform that integrates antibiotic quality data from testing to dispensing. It directly benefits communities in Kenya and Cameroon especially women, children, and the elderly who are disproportionately affected by substandard and falsified (S/F) medicines due to reliance on under-resourced health systems and community pharmacies. These poor-quality antibiotics contribute to treatment failure, prolonged illness, antimicrobial resistance, and avoidable deaths, particularly among those with limited access to alternative care. By combining real-time surveillance from EPN’s Minilab network with FIELD’s digital infrastructure, the platform empowers regulators, healthcare providers, and community members with reliable information to make informed decisions, reduce substandard medicine circulation, and promote responsible antibiotic use. The inclusion of low-tech reporting tools like SMS and WhatsApp promotes community engagement and rapid identification of suspicious products. Expanded sampling and geographic reach, especially in areas with weak regulatory capacity, strengthens national medicine quality monitoring systems. Ultimately, the solution reduces the circulation of S/F antibiotics, builds trust in the healthcare system, and supports a stronger, more responsive public health ecosystem while helping to combat the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.