Action taken by programme concerning theft and control of fuel and insecticides stock

Onchocerciasis Control Programme in tbe Volta River Basin area Programme de Lutte contre l'Onchooercose dans la R6gion du Bassin de la Volta JOINT PROGR{MME COMMITTEE Office of the Chairman JPC.CCP COMITE CONJOINT DU PROGRAMME Bureau du Pr6sident JPC6. 9 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Septenber 1985 JOIM PROGRA},IME COMMITTEE Sixth session Geneva 10-13 December 1985 Provlsional agenda item 12 ACTION TAKEN BY PROGRA},IME CONCERNING THEFT AND CONTROL OF FUEL AND INSECTICIDES STOCK Introduct.ion Aircraft oPerating on the OCP aerial contract have approximately 2 hours enduranee. The Present Programme area covers 750 000 kn2 with all rivers known to be breeding Simulium being treated weekly by a fleet of t helicopters and 1 fixed wing aircraft in the wet season. A vast logistical back-up is required to support this flying and 140 fuel andinsecticide caches are scattered throughout the programme area. Approxinately 5000 hellcopter hours and 1000 fixed wing hours are flown annually in releaslng approximately 400 000 lltres of larvlcides. Approxiroately 800 000 litres of JET 41 fuel required for thls flying. The caches of fuel and lnsecticide are aLrcraft; for the fixed wing at airports; banks and often in renote places. situated at the most conveni.ent sites for the for hellcopters at villages, alongside river Theft has been a problem from tine to time not only with aircraft fuel but alsoinsectlcide containers (after first spilling the insecticide onto the ground). Accumulated % totaL losses (includes losses from containers, losses from product remaining in drtrm after use and other losses as well as theft) Abate Chlorphoxim B Jet A1 fuel L97 4/83 1984 Recorded theft t t97 4 183 1984 6.2 4.2 2.07" L.t"l 3.8 6.2 27" o7! 2 2 0 2 2.O 3.1 7.8 2.9 17. 8Z 0.8% 7.2% In 1984 the Programme used 4 operational larvicides and some caches therefore contained 5 different products: Jer A1 fue1, abate, chlorphoxim, B.t. and pernethrin. JPC6.9 PaEe 2 Action taken As the Programme has evolved and expanded, the logistical control has become more complex. Following lncreasing theft and auditorrs observatlons, a programme of stricter control was lnitlated in 1984-1985. - An aerial operations officer at the Bobo base was designated to take sole charge oflogistics in the trrlestern area as his prinary function. - A micro-computer was installed at the Bobo base and it is intended to lnstall a micro-computer also at the Kara aerial base. The nicro-conputer gave the following advantages. 1. Stocks lnventories of indivldual larvlcides and fuel by geographlcal locatloa were available lnstantly. 2. There rras an autonatic indlcatlon of caches with stocks fallIng below a mlnlmum 1eve1. 3. Prlnt-outs were availabLe for pilots indlcating all caches sltuations - facllitating flight planning.. These print-out lnventorles were then verlfled by pilots when landing at caches. 4 Condensed nonthly flgures were available llsting use, theft, losses and replenlshment of each cache during the uonth. - A committee was formed cornprlsing not only IfHO members but also the aerlal- contractorts chlef pllot. The comlttee met perlodically to review the followlng aspects3 The prograrnme of cache replenlshment The locatlon of caches wlth respect to theft, pilot convenlence and restocking procedures The possibllity of reducing cache numbers The stocking of lndlvldual caches The frequency of theft at lndividual caches and determine action to be taken A breakdown of occurring losses. - The prefecture and local Government offlcials were requested to pJ-ay a nuch more actlve part Ln the Progranrme (followlng lnterventllon by the Mlnlster of Health). Prefectutes were kept advised of the Oncho Progranrme actlvitles by Sector Chiefs. They were inforued of cache posltlonlng, stocks and theft when lt occurred and where posslble they were held responslble for stock security. Their advlce concerniug the judlclous posltionlng of caches was sought and they were requested to lead enquirles lnto any theft lncident. - A new form was inltlated for pilots, at each landlng at a cache, to conplete. This form records stocks found on landlng at caches, amounts of fuel and lnsectlclde taken and amounts remaining. - An inproved systen of nonthly reportlng was init.iated recording stocks used and inventory of stocks present at each cache at the nonth end. A physical inventory check is hence now posslble nonthly instead of annually as previ-ously. These measures, taken at the beglnnlng of 1985, have resulted In a better control of fuel and lnsecticlde stocks and have shown that losses due to theft are normally at an acceptable leveL of less than 27.. I 2 3 4 5 6