Representation of the antimalarial distribution chain illustrating the types of supplier interactions documented by country.

<p>N: number of wholesalers with documented supplier interactions; WS: wholesaler; INT: intermediate. The shaded boxes represent the different levels of the distribution chain at which wholesalers operate, and the size of each box gives an impression of the proportion of wholesalers operating at each level. The dots represent mutually exclusive groups of wholesalers that are defined by the specific levels each wholesaler group serves. This is reflected in the array of arrows emanating from each dot, which illustrates that some wholesaler groups supply several distribution chain levels and others supply only one level. The percentages attached to each dot give the relative size of each wholesaler group. The dashed line from manufacturer to retailer indicates that while some retailers purchased antimalarials directly from manufacturers, it was an uncommon practice. Note that these schematics were constructed using information about the top two antimalarial supply sources mentioned by respondents, and therefore reflect the most important supplier interactions occurring within the antimalarial distribution chain, rather than all possible interactions or the volumes of antimalarials flowing through the chain.