HHSCM Alumni Spotlight
Biniyam Bahiru Tufa (Class of 2022)
Pharmacist, Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health
Ethiopia
About Biniyam
Biniyam Bahiru Tufa is a pharmacist in Ethiopia who is obsessed with supply chain optimization and has had a great interest in global health and humanitarian logistics since his undergraduate studies. In January 2023, Tufa successfully presented his Master’s thesis, project "Humanitarian Logistics Management Practice, Performance, and Factors Affecting the Performance of Public Health Emergency Pharmaceuticals," at the School of Pharmacy at Addis Ababa University.
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I don't know how to express how thankful I am for the excellent chance to attend the Health and Humanitarian Supply Chain Management (HHSCM) cohort at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I wasn't anticipating the amount of knowledge and how it pertains to every part of humanitarian logistics. Previously, I served at the Ministry of Health as a humanitarian logistician and the local national pharmaceutical manufacturer's focal person. The UPS Foundation scholarship I received has had a significant impact on my work; I am now able to build logistics models that can be tailored to the needs of Lower Middle Income Countries (LMICs).
This course has broadened my knowledge and boosted my professional experience. The insights I've learned have been game-changers in my logistics career, providing me with even more inspiration to succeed. For example, in two distinct projects in my nation as a project coordinator, I have used the knowledge gathered to construct demand planning tools:
- Filling Gaps in Medical Oxygen Demand-Supply Dynamics in Ethiopian Public Health Facilities (Granted $500,000 and Now Underway)
- Leveraging Advanced Demand Planning Techniques to Improve Informed Decision Making in RDF Pharmaceuticals Supply Chain Management at Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Supply Service, Ethiopia (Conducted for Leadership Incubation Program Course Fulfillment)
Taking this course provides me with an excellent opportunity to provide scientifically-driven humanitarian program leadership that may have an influence on both the beneficiaries and the overall healthcare system. I suggest this training to my colleagues for three reasons based on my experience: First and foremost, one of the most essential duties of a leader is to facilitate the growth of others and bring out the best in them. Second, the course helped me fill a gap in my country. Third, the course will provide participants with global perspectives and experiences that will increase their contributions to the growth of their businesses and nation.