Optimizing Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets Campaign in Ivory Coast

Abstract

This research supports the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) conceptualization, planning and implementation of a campaign for distribution of more than 12 million mosquito nets in Ivory Coast. Procured from four different suppliers in Asia, the nets were transported to the two ports in Ivory Coast before being pre-positioned at 71 Health Districts across the country, a mixed integer network flow model identifies optimal transport options. The process of modeling and the model developed in this paper brought a significant understanding of the problem and, consequently, a reduction in the overall procurement and logistics costs. The implications of using mathematical modeling by practitioners as a tool which contributes to solve humanitarian logistics problems are significant. Mathematical models, like linear programming, can greatly support overall decision-making within humanitarian organizations by helping to ensure that limited resources are used in the most cost-effective and efficient manner. However, it is important to ensure consultations with and involvement by on the ground practitioners to ensure developed solutions assessed to fit the operating context before being implemented.

Public School Food Supply Chain during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of the City of Vitória (Brazil)

“…However, it is recommended that the items should be the same for all beneficiaries, avoiding differences among food kits in the distribution. It is important to ensure that each beneficiary receives the product with the same description and packaging to prevent any kind of confusion or conflicts during distribution [36].…”

Transport Task Models with Variable Supplier Availabilities

“…The most well-known is the classical model of the transport task [4][5][6], the purpose of which is to determine an optimal plan of transport at certain starting points with known quantities of stocks in them and certain reception points with known quantities of demand. As a criterion for optimality in the transport task, minimization of total transport costs is usually considered [7][8][9], i.e., at certain transport costs from all points of departure [10,11] to all reception points, it is necessary to define a transport plan [12] that satisfies the stated needs of the receiving points with the available quantities of stocks at the points of departure at minimum total transport costs [13][14][15].…”

“…Depending on the particular conditions of the economic situation itself, other constraints may be added to the restrictive conditions of models (1)- (6). For example, there may be a limit on the amount of product that can be found at each of the suppliers.…”