Singapore is the latest in DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific’s network to once again be recognized by IATA for the highest standards met by logistics providers for life science and healthcare (LSH) shipments

SINGAPORE - MediaOutReach - 9 February 2021 - As the furor aroundthe availability of Covid-19 vaccines grew late last year, the spotlightquickly turned to the logistics sector and its capabilities in delivering morethan ten billion doses under stringenttemperature requirements worldwide. Concerns are well-founded, as thebio-pharmaceutical sector reportedly suffers from an estimated USD35billion loss annuallypre-Covid due to failures in temperature-controlled logistics.

DHLGlobal Forwarding, the air, ocean and road freight specialist of Deutsche PostDHL Group, began certifying its global stations with the IATA CEIV PharmaStandard since 2016 and has recently re-certified its air freight station inSingapore for another year.

TheIATA CEIV PharmaStandard,run by International Air Transport Association (IATA), is designed to ensurecompliance, standardization, accountability and transparency across the airtransport supply chain. "Singapore is the latest in our Asia Pacific network,along with Japan and China, to receive the IATA CEIV Pharma re-certification.This is especially timely as several countries try to secure Covid-19 vaccinesto put a halt to the economic and social impact of the pandemic," said KelvinLeung, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.

"Asour teams continue to work closely with our customers to deliver thesevaccines, we appreciate that the accreditation is not only a quality mark ofour service and network, but is equally a recognition of the hard work anddedication of our LSH specialists who work seamlessly across the world todeliver best-in-class logistics services to our customers," he added.  

 DHL has been actively involved with IATA'scontinuous efforts to adequately answer to the regulatory demands of thepharmaceutical industry. At each location, IATA examines and compares thestation's correspondence to its Temperature Control Regulations (TCR) as wellas GDP (Good Distribution Practices) guidelines from the European Union, WorldHealth Organization and other regulatory bodies.

"Asthe freight forwarder that was involved with bringing in Singapore's first batch of Covid-19vaccines, DHL Global Forwarding places a huge emphasis on delivering thehighest supply chain standards for our LSH customers. The re-certification ofthe IATA CEIV Pharma on a corporate level and for our air freight station atChangi Airport stands testament to our commitment to support governments andthe LSH sector during this crucial recovery period," said Christopher Lim,Managing Director, DHL Global Forwarding Singapore and Malaysia.

Followingindependent audits by third parties and training courses for employees on site,the DHL Air GxP (good practice) facility in Singapore successfully renewed thequality label by exceeding the usual quality standards for transportation andstorage of pharmaceutical goods.

DHLprovides its worldwide employees with vital tools to understand and meet customers'and regulatory expectations. In addition to implementing specialized trainingprogram by IATA regulation standards across its key GxP (good practice) facilities,DHL's CIF Certified Life Sciences Specialist (CLSS) program equally providesa comprehensive curriculum of mandatory trainings, functional courses, andmaterial to unlock the knowledge of this specialized industry. Like at alltemperature-controlled locations of DHL, every designated employee in Singaporeinvolved in such shipments have successfully completed the training and arecertified LSH Specialists. This ensures that sensitive shipments are handledwith utmost care and in compliance with the highest industry standards.

Withits international network, DHL offers a wide-ranging product portfolio at its AirGxP locations that covers all client needs for time and temperature sensitive airfreightshipments and provides seamless temperature visibility along the supply chain.Through its excellent service, DHL has successfully established itself as themarket leader for logistics solutions in the LSH industry. Special servicesalso include the door-to-door courier solution "Life Sciences graded SpecialtyCourier", the express service "Medical Express" with a fixed delivery time, and"DHL Clinical Trial Logistics", a logistics solution designed for clinicalstudies such as the transportation of trial medication, ancillaries, and labkits.  

Note to editors:

Vaccine logistics for Covid-19 will pose challenges alongthe supply chain that must be jointly addressed by governments, NGOs,pharmaceutical companies, and logistics players urgently. Find out what lessons Covid-19 has taught on securing stablesupply chains for future emergencies and the complexities in distributing thevaccine across the globe.

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