Ethiopian national Dr Loko Abraham is the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rwanda Medical Supply, a public corporation mandated with the procurement, storage and distribution of pharmaceuticals products. This was announced by the Ministry of Health on December 9. “We are pleased to welcome Dr Loko Abraham, the new CEO of the Rwanda Medical Supply – RMS,” the Ministry posted on X. The announcement comes at a time when the Ministry of Health has embarked on implementing health sector reforms which include strategic acquisition of medical equipment such as through bulk purchasing to address the high expenditure incurred on the procurement of medical equipment – which was stemming from the fact that there were many people involved in the supply chain. ALSO READ: Govt lays out plan to reduce procurement of medical supplies But who is the new CEO of this public entity, which also works to ensure quality and safety management of medical products including drugs, by purchasing them from reputable suppliers? Experience According to the Ministry of Health, Abraham is an experienced physician with over 17 years of expertise in various technical and senior leadership roles, including supply chain management, digital health, health service delivery, academia, and research. Before his appointment to the new position, Abraham was the Chief of Party (head) of the US Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Digital Health Activity in Ethiopia, from June 2020 - October 2023. Earlier, he was Senior Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Health, in Ethiopia, from February 2020 - June 2020, and Director General of Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency, from April 2017- February 2020. While at the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency – as its Director General – he fixed infrastructure problems in warehousing and distribution, digitised all operations, and championed a culture of data use, according to John Snow, Inc. (JSI) – a global consulting organisation dedicated to improving people's lives around the world through greater health, education, and socio-economic equity. Also, he served as Vice President of Mekelle University’s Teaching Hospital from March 2016 to April 2017, in Tigray, Ethiopia; and as a consultant pediatrician, and Dean of the College of Health sciences at the same university, from June 2013 - March 2016. Education Abraham studied at the University of Gondar University of Gondar, for a Doctor of Medicine, from 1999 to 2005. Later, from 2009 to 2012, he specialised in pediatrics and child health at Addis Ababa University. He received a post-graduate diploma in higher education leadership at the University of Washington, in 2015; and a certificate for international programme in public health leadership at Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, at the same university in 2019.
