RapidPro for Supply Chain SMS Alerts: Preventing Stockouts in Chad
Chad faces a persistent nutrition supply challenge that puts children’s lives at risk. Severe acute malnutrition is widespread, yet remote clinics often run out of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) due to funding gaps, difficult terrain, and poor communication. In late 2024, UNICEF warned Chad was on the brink of running out of RUTF entirely, a crisis threatening over half a million children.
To combat this, UNICEF and Chad’s Ministry of Health introduced RapidPro SMS supply chain alerts, leveraging UNICEF’s open-source RapidPro platform to coordinate deliveries via simple text messages. Health workers and officials across Chad can now monitor stock levels and trigger resupplies in real time, preventing the deadly stockouts that once plagued the system.
This article examines the functioning of the RapidPro SMS supply chain system, the enhancements in RUTF stock management in Chad, and the resulting positive outcomes, fewer stockouts, increased transparency, health worker buy-in, and ultimately, lives saved.
The High Stakes of Chad’s Nutrition Supply Chain
RUTF is a lifesaving commodity in Chad’s fight against malnutrition, but getting it to every child in need is a constant struggle. Many health centers are in remote areas with poor roads and high transport costs, meaning deliveries are slow and unreliable. Communication gaps made it hard to know when supplies were running low. As a result, clinics frequently experienced RUTF stockouts that interrupted treatment for severely malnourished children.
In 2023, analysts identified mismanagement and supply bottlenecks as major factors amplifying stockout risks. To make matters worse, some RUTF shipments were even diverted to local markets and sold illegally despite a government ban, depriving clinics of essential supplies and undermining trust.
These supply chain failures had dire consequences. When a clinic runs out of therapeutic food, children suffering from malnutrition don’t receive the treatment they need. In early 2024, Chad declared a food and nutrition emergency as RUTF became scarce. By October 2024, projections showed the country would completely exhaust RUTF stocks without urgent action.
Health workers were forced into crisis management mode, placing frantic calls, filing reports, and spending precious time trying to locate supplies. “We used to waste so much time making phone calls and sending messages to track nutrition supplies, and meanwhile some children weren’t getting care on time,” recalls Roda Idriss, a UNICEF nutrition officer in eastern Chad. Clearly, a better system was needed to prevent stockouts and speed up the flow of information.
RapidPro SMS Supply Chain Solution in Action
In 2025, UNICEF and the Ministry of Health rolled out a RapidPro SMS supply chain system (locally called “SAIN” for Suivi Automatisé des Intrants Nutritionnels) to tackle the stockout problem. RapidPro is an open-source platform that enables two-way communication via SMS, even on basic mobile phones. In March 2025, 85 health center managers and 11 district nutrition officers in Ouaddaï province gathered for a training on this new tool. They learned that something as simple as a text message can revolutionize stock management.
Here’s how the system works: whenever the central warehouse or a regional depot dispatches RUTF or other supplies, RapidPro automatically sends an SMS alert to the health centers due to receive the shipment. For example, a clinic manager might get: “10 boxes of RUTF have been shipped, arriving by Truck XYZ on Monday.” Because the system is integrated with Chad’s main mobile networks (Moov Africa and Airtel), these messages reach even basic phones in remote areas. Upon delivery, the health center manager replies via SMS to confirm the shipment’s arrival. This closes the loop on each delivery in real time.
Every month, clinics also send a short SMS report of their current RUTF stock balance and how many new malnutrition cases they treated. All this data feeds into a central dashboard monitored by district pharmacists and UNICEF logisticians. If a clinic’s stock level is getting dangerously low, RapidPro triggers an automatic alert so that resupply can be arranged immediately. In short, the system makes sure that no clinic is forgotten if a delivery doesn’t arrive or a facility is running out of RUTF, the right people know right away and can take action.
This solution was built with Chad’s challenges in mind. It works on any phone via a simple short code, so no internet or smart devices are required. SMS messaging on the two local networks is free for the users, removing cost barriers. Training emphasized how easy it is: each clinic has a unique code for reporting, and staff quickly picked up the SMS format. “Learning to use this tool is like having a new partner to better serve our patients,” says Roland Derroh Tolndang, head of a health center in Am Dam district. “Before, I had to call multiple people to confirm a shipment. Now I know exactly when the truck is arriving,” he adds, highlighting how real-time SMS alerts streamlined his work.
With confirmations and automated alerts, transparency has vastly improved. Every stakeholder, from warehouse teams to clinic staff to district managers, has visibility into the supply chain’s status. It’s now much harder for a delivery to be lost or delayed without someone noticing. This accountability is also helping deter diversion of RUTF; if supplies go missing en route, RapidPro’s tracking makes it easier to pinpoint where the chain broke down.
Fewer Stockouts, Improved Care, and Lives Saved
Though still in its early stages, the RapidPro rollout in Chad is already delivering promising results. Health facilities using the SMS alerts report faster restocking and far fewer emergency stockouts of RUTF. Previously, a remote clinic might wait weeks for resupply; now, real-time alerts allow the central team to respond in days or hours, dramatically reducing stockout durations. In Sierra Leone, for instance, connecting 1,100 clinics into a RapidPro-powered supply chain drastically reduced stockouts of essential medicines.
Chad is already following suit; early field reports indicate the pilot areas had no RUTF stockouts even during the challenging 2025 rainy season. The impact on children’s health is tangible. With RUTF consistently available, malnourished children can receive uninterrupted treatment. Chad’s therapeutic feeding centers achieve a 95%+ recovery rate for severe malnutrition cases when treatment isn’t disrupted. Thanks to the RapidPro SMS supply chain system, more children are getting that full course of therapy instead of being turned away due to empty shelves.
UNICEF’s nutrition team in Chad notes that this innovation “will reduce wasted time, optimize stock management, and above all guarantee quick care for children with severe acute malnutrition”. In practical terms, that means lives saved. Every time an SMS alert prevents a clinic from running out of therapeutic food, a child in need receives lifesaving care on time instead of slipping through the cracks.
Another positive outcome has been improved morale among frontline health workers. RapidPro’s two-way communication lets nurses and clinic managers flag their needs and see prompt action. Feedback from training sessions was overwhelmingly positive; staff were relieved to finally have a tool to make their daily work easier. This sense of empowerment and partnership boosts their commitment, even in challenging remote postings. Additionally, the SMS reports provide a data trail that helps health managers spot trends and bottlenecks, enabling proactive adjustments to keep the system running optimally.
A Model for Humanitarian Supply Chains Globally
Chad’s experience builds on lessons from other countries. During the Ebola crisis, Liberia’s Ministry of Health used RapidPro (via the mHero program) to connect over 11,000 health workers and monitor clinics in real time. Likewise, The Gambia configured RapidPro for COVID-19, tracking data on cases and PPE supplies via SMS. These cases show a common theme: real-time SMS alerts can transform an opaque supply chain into a responsive, connected network.
For other countries facing similar supply hurdles, Chad’s pilot offers a blueprint that can be replicated. An SMS-based supply chain is low-cost to run and quick to implement, yet highly effective even in remote settings. By improving visibility and accountability, this approach ensures communities can trust that clinics will have the supplies they need when they need them.
Conclusion: Empowering Supply Chains with RapidPro – Get Started
From remote Chadian villages to national coordination centers, RapidPro’s SMS alerts are bridging supply chain gaps and saving lives. What began as an innovative pilot to prevent stockouts is quickly becoming an indispensable part of Chad’s nutrition program. The takeaway is clear: when frontline health workers are empowered with real-time communication tools, essential supplies reach children before it’s too late.
If you are an NGO, government ministry, or humanitarian organization looking to deploy this kind of life-saving communication system, RapidPro App is here to help. RapidPro App is a specialized hosting service that makes launching RapidPro fast. We provide secure, turnkey RapidPro deployments, so you can focus on your mission while we handle the tech.
With RapidPro App, you can have your own interactive SMS platform up and running in under 24 hours, complete with expert support and integration into your existing systems. It’s the same platform powering successes in Chad and beyond, and you can try it for your programs today. Contact RapidPro App to supercharge your humanitarian projects with interactive mobile alerts.
SEO FAQ: RapidPro SMS Supply Chain & Stockout Prevention
What is the RapidPro SMS supply chain system in Chad?
It’s an SMS-based stock monitoring and alert system implemented by UNICEF and Chad’s Ministry of Health using the RapidPro platform. Health workers send and receive text messages to report RUTF inventory levels, confirm deliveries, and get shipment alerts in real time. This RapidPro SMS supply chain network links clinics, warehouses, and decision-makers to prevent therapeutic food stockouts.
How do SMS alerts help prevent medical supply stockouts?
SMS alerts create instant, two-way communication across the supply chain. For example, when a warehouse ships supplies, an SMS notifies the clinic of the incoming delivery. Clinics also text back their remaining stock and usage data. If stock is running low or a delivery is delayed, the system triggers an alert so officials can respond immediately. By highlighting issues in real time, RapidPro SMS alerts enable faster resupply and avoid prolonged gaps in service.
Why is UNICEF using RapidPro for Chad’s supply chain?
UNICEF chose RapidPro because it’s a proven low-cost solution for connecting remote health sites. Chad has many clinics with limited internet access, so an SMS-based system is ideal. RapidPro allows health facilities to communicate their needs quickly using basic phones. It gives UNICEF and the Ministry of Health live visibility into RUTF stocks at each clinic, so they can act before supplies run out. In short, it brings efficiency and transparency to a previously unreliable supply chain.
Can RapidPro SMS supply chain tools be used in other countries?
Yes. RapidPro’s SMS tracking approach has been deployed beyond Chad. For example, Sierra Leone and The Gambia have used RapidPro to monitor drug supplies and health data via SMS. The same workflows can be adapted and scaled in other countries as needed.
How can my organization implement a RapidPro SMS supply chain system?
To get started, you can partner with a RapidPro service provider or UNICEF’s team to set up the platform. RapidPro App, for example, offers managed hosting to deploy RapidPro quickly. They handle the technical infrastructure, messaging connections, and maintenance, allowing you to focus on designing the SMS workflows for your supply chain. With expert help, a RapidPro SMS supply chain project can go live in days, bringing real-time coordination to your health or humanitarian program.