ANNUAL REPORT
JANUARY – DECEMBER 2023
In 2023, we expanded Project Last Mile’s impact through 21 projects in 12 African countries, reaching over 28 million people.
Our collective involvement in Project Last Mile fills us with a profound sense of pride. This comes from knowing that Project Last Mile stands as a true embodiment of partnership, integrating the distinctive capabilities and strengths of the private sector, public sector, and civil society to implement transformative projects. Our capabilities, rooted in private sector approaches, have been instrumental in achieving these milestones.
Reflecting on the past year’s accomplishments, we sincerely appreciate each contributor who played a crucial role in Project Last Mile’s success—including our valued partners and dedicated project team. We are fortunate to collaborate with an exceptionally talented and committed network of individuals.
This annual report highlights Project Last Mile’s achievements and learnings over the past year. Looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate a significant milestone commemorating 10 years since the formal launch of our expanded global partnership.
PROJECT LAST MILE IN NUMBERS AS OF END OF 2023
55 projects
17 countries
43 million people reached
2023 highlights
- Reducing health commodity stockouts at Côte d’Ivoire’s last mile by implementing effective distribution strategies, which improved inventory management skills and decreased stockouts in healthcare facilities, providing better access to life-saving medications.
- Strengthening COVID-19 vaccine cold chain storage in Eswatini through infrastructure upgrades, distribution planning, and healthcare worker training, expanding capacity, preventing wastage, and supporting effective distribution to vulnerable populations.
- Boosting COVID-19 vaccine demand in Eswatini via targeted marketing campaigns on digital platforms and wellness events, combating misconceptions, and driving uptake, leading to high online engagement and successful vaccination events.
- Strengthening COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Kasarani, Kenya, through strategic partnership, leveraging route-to-market, marketing, and cold chain capabilities for efficient distribution and high vaccination coverage.
- Analyzing opportunities to expand and strengthen differentiated service delivery models in Lesotho through increased private sector engagement to support better healthcare outcomes for chronic medication access.
- Strengthening the COVID-19 vaccine cold chain in Malawi with repairs, training, and infrastructure upgrades, supporting efficient delivery to remote areas, and supporting routine immunization.
- Boosting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Malawi through targeted strategic marketing campaigns in rural communities, resulting in increased positive attitudes towards vaccination and a significant uptick in vaccinations administered.
- Strengthening condom supply and demand in Mozambique through integrated route-to-market and strategic marketing approaches, resulting in increased distribution and positive shifts in condom awareness and behaviors.
- Partnering with Mozambique’s Central de Medicamentos e Artigos Médicos to improve last mile delivery of medicines through the Next Mile and Strategic Plan for Information Systems.
- Strengthening Mozambique’s cold chain readiness for COVID-19 vaccines, including evaluation, repair, and maintenance of cold chain equipment, leading to expanded capacity and improved technical knowledge among healthcare workers.
- Developing and testing the “AME. For Men. For Health” brand in Namibia, targeting young men with the goal of improving HIV testing and treatment outcomes and increasing general attention to health and wellness.
- Developing and testing a Last Mile Delivery Workforce Strengthening Toolkit in Rwanda and Togo to address challenges in managing public sector supply chain employees, resulting in positive feedback and identified areas for improvement.
- Expanding digital last mile delivery in Sierra Leone to enhance availability of health products, improve staff efficiency, and enhance service delivery at delivery points.
- Improving access to chronic medications in South Africa through innovative pick-up point strategies, relieving congestion in healthcare facilities, and benefiting millions of patients.
- Utilizing private sector marketing approaches to improve HIV care and treatment outcomes in South Africa, including targeted campaigns for men living with HIV and initiatives to promote Central Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution services.
- Enhancing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and access in South Africa through targeted strategic communications, resulting in increased vaccination rates and engagement with high-risk populations.
- Improving global health security by bolstering cold chain infrastructure in Zambia to facilitate the effective distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, resulting in repaired equipment and enhanced capacity among health facility workers.
See our 2023 thought leadership and communication highlights here.
Our work
If you can find an ice-cold Coca-Cola product almost anywhere in Africa, why not life-saving medicines?
Project Last Mile, a collaboration between donors, health ministries, and the private sector, aims to turn this vision into reality. We work closely with public health systems and social enterprises. utilizing the successful methods and networks of The Coca-Cola System. Our focus areas include route-to-market, cold chain strengthening, and strategic marketing and communications. Our aim is to improve access, availability, and demand for life-saving medicines and health services down to the last mile in Africa. We assist our donor partners—PEPFAR, USAID, The Global Fund, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—to achieve ambitious goals.
Our core capabilities are derived from a private sector approach that is based on the strengths of The Coca-Cola System. The Coca-Cola Company and its brands are world-recognized for distribution, cold chain capability, and marketing. By leveraging Coca-Cola alums and subject matter experts in public health, we translate principles and expertise from the private sector to support public health systems and social enterprises in improving the delivery of medicines, vaccines, and health services.
Route-to-market: Project Last Mile applies the successful distribution expertise, methods, and innovations of The Coca-Cola System, adapting them to health systems to enhance how medicines, vaccinations, and other health products reach people. This helps ensure consistent and convenient availability down to the last mile.
Cold chain strengthening: Project Last Mile utilizes The Coca-Cola System’s expertise and networks to improve systems that maintain climate-sensitive commodities at the right temperature. This is crucial for regular immunizations and emergency efforts such as COVID-19 and polio vaccinations.
Strategic marketing and communications:
The Coca-Cola Company is world-recognized for its marketing and branding expertise. Project Last Mile applies these best practices to social behavior change and communication, aiming to motivate people to access health services such as HIV testing and treatment.