Rethinking Healthcare Supply Chains: Lessons from a Global Efficiency Study

Meadow Pipit

22-09-2025

Since Doctor Black Drongo became senile with severe dementia, losing his medical abilities, the health status of the Bird Village deteriorated quickly.

In “No-Fish Dietary”; Wild Wise Weird (2024)

© Wix

Access to healthcare is a universal need, yet supply chains that deliver medicines, equipment, and services often remain fragile and uneven. A new study by Tavares, Pereira, and Carvalho [1] offers the first global evaluation of how efficiently United Nations (UN) Member States manage their healthcare supply chains under the lens of sustainability. Using a novel method that combines Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators with network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), the study examined the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of healthcare supply systems.

The results show that efficiency varies widely across countries and does not necessarily align with wealth or human development levels. Surprisingly, some lower-income nations outperformed middle-income countries by focusing on streamlined services and leveraging international aid effectively. In contrast, certain middle-income states—caught in the so-called “middle-income trap”—struggled with outdated systems and slower adoption of innovations [2]. Wealthier countries often benefited from advanced infrastructure and governance, though even they face challenges such as high emissions and costly logistics.

When broken down into segments, wholesalers consistently demonstrated near-optimal efficiency, while manufacturers showed persistently low performance, reflecting the high costs and complexity of producing sustainable medical goods. Healthcare facilities revealed fluctuating efficiency, with sharp improvements during the COVID-19 pandemic as systems adapted rapidly under pressure.

Healthcare supply chains account for about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring their ecological footprint [3]. Sustainable practices—such as green procurement, local sourcing, and waste reduction—are therefore vital for both public health and planetary health. Good governance, targeted policies, and digital innovation matter more than income level alone in achieving efficient, sustainable systems .

Just as ecosystems thrive when energy and resources flow efficiently between organisms, healthcare systems flourish when supply chains are transparent, coordinated, and resilient. Sustainable healthcare supply chains embody applied ecological intelligence [4]. Nations that align health delivery with social equity, environmental stewardship, and efficient use of resources demonstrate not only technical capacity but also a higher Nature Quotient (NQ) in governance [5].

References

[1] Tavares MC, et al. (2025). How efficient is the sustainable management of healthcare supply chains of the United Nations member states? Business Strategy and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70208

[2] Aiyar S, et al. (2018). Growth slowdowns and the middle-income trap. Japan and the World Economy, 48, 22-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japwor.2018.07.001

[3] Rodríguez-Jiménez L, et al. (2023). The carbon footprint of healthcare settings: A systematic review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79, 2830-2844. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15671

[4] Nguyen MH. (2024). How can satirical fables offer us a vision for sustainability? Visions for Sustainability, 23(11267), 323-328. https://doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/11267

[5] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2025). On Nature Quotient. Pacific Conservation Biology, 31, PC25028. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25028