Crown Agents USA, Inc. (CA-USA) is the managing partner for the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) project office in Botswana which opened in April 2007. Funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), SCMS procures and delivers antiretroviral, HIV test kits, lab supplies, and other HIV/AIDS-related commodities to countries throughout the developing world.
The government of Botswana has declared HIV/AIDS a national emergency and adopted a compelling, long-term strategy to eradicate new AIDS infections by 2016. In support of this strategy, the SCMS office performs three core activities related to HIV/AIDS treatment:
- Promoting information sharing to mobilize US government-funded partners to embrace an integrated approach to Central Medical Store & National Health Laboratory;
- Capacity building in HIV/AIDS treatment and laboratory infrastructure; and
- Strengthening warehousing, procurement and distribution systems.