Improving vaccine management in Mozambique with OpenLMIS

Success story: Improving vaccine management in Mozambique with OpenLMIS

April 4, 2025

Anna Kwaśny

SolDevelo played a key role in enhancing vaccine management in Mozambique by supporting the OpenLMIS implementation with technical expertise and system improvements. Through collaboration with the Mozambique Ministry of Health and VillageReach, we helped refine logistics operations, boost data visibility, and streamline supply chain management, resulting in a more efficient system, highly rated for its reliability and impact, and a client who would recommend OpenLMIS to others.

The Client

This project is realised in collaboration with VillageReach and the Mozambique Ministry of Health.

VillageReach is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare delivery in low-resource communities. It focuses on strengthening supply chains, enhancing last-mile health logistics, and leveraging technology to ensure life-saving medicines and vaccines reach those in need. Through partnerships with governments and organizations, VillageReach develops sustainable solutions to improve healthcare access and equity globally.

OpenLMIS

OpenLMIS is an open-source, web-based logistics management information system designed to support health supply chains, particularly in low-resource settings. It helps governments and organizations manage and track essential medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies, ensuring their availability at health facilities.

Logistics management challenges in Mozambique

Every OpenLMIS implementation is a unique journey of challenges and solutions. In the case of Mozambique, this journey was centered around vaccine management and data visibility. Before implementing OpenLMIS, the country faced several logistics problems that impacted the efficiency of vaccine and supply distribution, including:

Poor data visibility

Limited real-time tracking of stock levels and supply movements.
Difficulties in monitoring vaccine distribution, leading to shortages and inefficiencies.

Inefficient previous solutions

Earlier initiatives, such as Excel-based tracking, were not scalable.
Data was stored on individual computers at separate deposits, each maintaining its own files. This decentralized approach increased the risk of errors and unauthorized modifications when the information was later compiled at a higher level.

Lack of a national vaccine management system

No centralized tool for managing vaccines across the country.
Vaccine distribution was not digitalized, making coordination difficult.

These issues made it challenging to ensure timely vaccine coverage and efficient supply chain management. The need for a scalable, digital logistics system became clear, leading to the implementation of OpenLMIS.

OpenLMIS implementation

OpenLMIS was first introduced to Mozambique in 2014. It was selected due to its ability to operate offline, which proved crucial for the country troubled by a limited Internet access. The system was also well-equipped to handle Mozambique’s vaccine management needs – the country’s priority at the time.

Locally called SELV (Sistema Electrónico de Logística de Vacinas), OpenLMIS was successfully implemented nationwide, covering 11 provinces and over 1,700 health centers. The system operates on desktop, laptop, and mobile devices, and synergizes with the intermittent connectivity by allowing for offline data entry and occasional bursts of synchronization with the server when possible.

SolDevelo’s support

SolDevelo joined the initiative as a technical support in 2019. We contributed to the development of additional features requested by the country, including data edition, localization features and customization required to match the local context.

One of the crucial steps forward was also a joint effort of OpenLMIS re-architecture in which we played a significant role. Up to this point the system was being developed by multiple community members, often independent of one another, resulting in many discrepancies and the lack of a single code base that everyone could benefit from. To tackle this challenge, we worked on a new, unified version of OpenLMIS core system that would provide higher quality for the existing and future implementations. It resulted in a successful development of OpenLMIS version 3.0. Mozambique was among the first countries that benefited from the new system version, accessing new customization and interoperability options.

Since then, SolDevelo continues to support the Mozambique implementation by providing ongoing maintenance and developing adjustments and custom features according to the country’s needs.

OpenLMIS improving logistics management in Mozambique

The implementation of OpenLMIS brought significant changes to Mozambique, streamlining the logistics processes, enhancing data visibility and transforming the vaccine supply management to improve vaccine coverage. The country noticed remarkable improvements in several aspects:

Improved vaccine supply management

Since its initial implementation in 2014, OpenLMIS has transformed logistics operations in Mozambique, particularly in vaccine supply management. By leveraging data-driven decision-making, the country has significantly improved how vaccines are acquired, distributed, and monitored.

One of the most impactful changes has been enhanced forecasting and planning. OpenLMIS provides critical insights that help predict vaccine demand, ensuring that procurement aligns with actual needs. The system has also helped strengthen cold chain management, improving the storage and distribution of vaccines to prevent spoilage and waste.

Increased stockout awareness

OpenLMIS has significantly improved stock visibility and early detection. This means that even when shortages occur, the country is better prepared to address them proactively. Awareness of stock issues has grown, leading to more strategic efforts to mitigate future shortages.

The power of data in decision-making

One of the most significant benefits of OpenLMIS in Mozambique has been the transformation of reporting processes, ensuring that logistics and supply chain decisions are backed by accurate, real-time data.

Improved reporting rates – OpenLMIS has streamlined data collection across the entire health supply chain, leading to more consistent, timely, and accurate reporting for medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies.
Efficient requisition submissions – The system simplifies and standardizes the requisition process, reducing errors and delays in supply requests for essential health commodities.
Cold chain inventory management – OpenLMIS enables better tracking of cold chain storage capacity and conditions, ensuring that temperature-sensitive products like vaccines and certain medications remain viable.
Data-driven consumption analysis (Power BI) – With Power BI integration, health officials can visualize consumption trends across various health commodities, helping them adjust procurement plans and prevent shortages or overstocking.
Stock on hand monitoring (Jasper reports) – Real-time tracking of stock levels, allowing health facilities to quickly identify shortages, redistribute supplies efficiently, and maintain continuous service delivery.

With these reporting enhancements, Mozambique now has greater transparency and control over its entire health logistics system, leading to more efficient planning, reduced waste, and better healthcare outcomes for communities in need.

Empowering people and processes

Beyond technology, OpenLMIS has played a crucial role in building the capacity of local health professionals. Logistics and vaccine management teams now have better tools and training, allowing them to manage inventory more efficiently.

A roadmap for continued improvement

OpenLMIS has already made a profound impact on logistics management in Mozambique, but the journey doesn’t end here. The continued refinement of operational processes, combined with ongoing technological improvements, will further strengthen the country’s ability to deliver life-saving vaccines to communities in need.

Client feedback

The implementation of OpenLMIS in Mozambique has brought significant improvements to logistics management, enhancing data visibility and vaccine distribution. The system has been rated highly by the client for its reliability and effectiveness in real-world use.

Reliability: ⭐ 9/10 – A highly dependable system that ensures smooth operations.
Performance: ⭐ 7/10 – Meets expectations with room for further optimization.
Usability: ⭐ 7/10 – A solid foundation for managing logistics.

Equally important was the collaboration between the Mozambique Ministry of Health, VillageReach, and SolDevelo. The support provided by SolDevelo’s team was recognized as responsive and capable.

Client rating: ⭐ 8/10

When asked if the client would recommend OpenLMIS to other organizations, the response was clear: “Yes, totally.” The system has not only addressed key challenges over the years but has also evolved with each implementation.

OpenLMIS v 3 introduced valuable improvements, making it an even more effective tool for supply chain management. Its open-source nature, free from licensing costs, further enhances its appeal to governments and organizations seeking a scalable, cost-effective logistics solution.

With positive feedback and proven results in the field, OpenLMIS continues to drive impactful change in Mozambique’s healthcare supply chain.