From Discouraged to Driven

Martin Makuek Chiman’s Vaccine Logistics Journey in South Sudan

RHSC LAPTOP Scholar Martin Makuek Chiman, a vaccine logistics manager in the world’s youngest country, South Sudan, was once overwhelmed and discouraged by the difficulties of medical supply chain management, but found that further studies gave him the confidence and expertise to take charge of cold chain and vaccine management across the country.

What led you to supply chain management as a profession?

I pursued a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy because, growing up, I rarely saw anyone with the medicines they needed. South Sudan endured 55 years of conflict to gain independence, yet it is home to one of Africa’s most severe refugee crises, with 2.3 million refugees and asylum seekers in neighboring countries and another 2 million internally displaced.

People had very little knowledge about medicines when I was growing up. In the absence of proper healthcare, they would try to identify medicines by taste. I often heard people say, for example, “Oh, this is bitter — it must be for malaria.”

When I decided to study pharmacy, no one in my community even knew what it was, and there were no pharmacy programs available, but through an intergovernmental agreement, I went to study in Ethiopia, where I qualified as a pharmacist.

Was it difficult going into a relatively unknown course of study?

Yes, incredibly difficult. People believed that only doctors and nurses played a role in healthcare, and pharmacy seemed irrelevant to them. There was no one to guide me, no role models to look up to.

On top of that, choosing pharmacy meant going against the norm of joining the army. Many friends dreamed of being soldiers in order to join the war and many expected me to follow the same path. But I didn’t want to fight — I had a mission to improve my community’s health.

Where did your ambition come from?

When I sat for my secondary school leaving certificate, I was the top student — not because I considered myself particularly intelligent, but because I worked relentlessly, often studying late into the night. My drive came from personal loss. My father died when I was just 11 and my mother when I was 16, both due to health-related issues and a lack of proper treatment. The loss made me realize how desperately my community needed better healthcare.

My father used to say, “Big dreams require big sacrifices.” I held onto that. I knew that if I worked hard enough, I could create change — not just for myself, but for the people who needed it most.

How did you transition from pharmacy to supply chain management and logistics?

After graduating, I returned to South Sudan and began my career with third party contractors with UNICEF, managing their warehouse. I soon took on the role of National Vaccine Center/Store Manager. This transition was not planned, but it became clear that delivering medicines/vaccines to those in need was just as critical as developing or prescribing them.

Supply chain and logistics challenges were immense in South Sudan. The country’s infrastructure is extremely underdeveloped, with vast rural areas completely inaccessible by road. We used helicopters or UNHAS flights to move medicines and vaccines to hubs from where they were transported to village health facilities. In the most remote areas, people relied on canoes, motorbikes, and sometimes just carrying supplies on their heads, walking miles across difficult terrain.

Coordination was another difficulty we faced. Sometimes, we had to rely on local organizations and community leaders to relay messages and ensure vaccines and essential medicines reached healthcare facilities. This experience opened my eyes to the vital role of supply chain management in healthcare. I realized that having the right medicines was not enough — if they couldn’t reach the people who needed them on time, lives would still be lost.

What made you decide to pursue a LAPTOP Scholarship?

When COVID-19 struck, UNICEF employed me as a cold chain logistics and vaccine management consultant to provide technical support to the Ministry of Health and implementing partners to roll out Covid-19 vaccines with a key focus on coordinating and strengthening elements of last mile cold chain logistics to vaccination sites.

We were unprepared. There was no proper screening in place, and international consultants were brought in to help us catch up. The workload was overwhelming, and it took a toll on me. I became deeply exhausted and, at times, even experienced nightmares from the stress. However, through our relentless efforts, we managed to vaccinate about 84% of those eligible.

But I knew I needed more knowledge and greater confidence to handle such high-pressure situations effectively. The LAPTOP Scholarship became a turning point in my professional growth. When I joined, I didn’t know I would learn so such. My supervisor at the Logistics Learning Alliance guided me through complex emergency humanitarian scenarios based on real crises such as the emergencies in Gaza, Yemen, and Afghanistan — situations I could directly relate to, and apply in South Sudan.

I immersed myself in my studies, and the reports I wrote and the knowledge I gained during the program remain valuable resources for me today. The scholarship not only enhanced my expertise but also strengthened my confidence in handling large-scale humanitarian logistics.

What does the future hold?

I currently work in polio vaccine logistics, but my contract will soon end. While I search for my next opportunity, I refuse to be idle.

In 2023, while supervising COVID-19 vaccine rollouts in the countryside, I came across a heartbreaking scene — two children rubbing diesel into their wounds, believing it would help them heal. They had no money to visit a hospital. That moment deeply moved me and inspired me to establish a local charity organization known as the Giving Back Foundation. Volunteers and friends contribute funds and purchase medicines, and together, we bring essential healthcare to rural areas, supporting children in desperate need. Every time a contract ends, and I find myself between jobs, I return to my village to give back.

To date, the Giving Back Foundation has helped approximately 10,000 children, providing medical assistance for conditions such as malaria, skin infections, diarrhea, and psychological support for children in orphanages. This year alone, the organization has conducted medical outreach to the orphanages reaching more than 2,000 children. Sadly, the children I first met may never directly benefit from this initiative, and that thought weighs on me. But I take comfort in knowing that many others will.

Moving forward, I hope to expand the foundation’s reach and continue my work in vaccine logistics and public health, ensuring that no one has to resort to unsafe remedies simply because they lack access to proper medical care.