Kenya adopts ‘pooled procurement’ in order to buy quality drugs cheaply
Health CS says Kenya has prioritised coordinated supply chain systems of medicine that are underpinned by digital technology and real-time data monitoring, to improve distribution, reduce waste, and enhance accountability.
Kenya has adopted ‘pooled procurement’ that ensures that healthcare institutions get quality medicines at affordable prices.
Speaking today at a summit on “Unlocking Access, Transforming Lives,” Cabinet Secretary for Health Dr Debora Baraza disclosed that through the process, the government harnesses the collective purchasing power of health institutions to negotiate better prices, ensure superior quality, and minimize stockouts.
Baraza said Kenya has prioritised coordinated supply chain systems of medicine that are underpinned by digital technology and real-time data monitoring, to improve distribution, reduce waste, and enhance accountability.
The CS said procuring the quality drugs is one-step towards the right direction, “ensuring that medicines reach every corner of Kenya efficiently and reliably is equally vital.”
Baraza said a resilient, technology-driven supply chain not only supports routine care but also strengthens our emergency response capabilities.
Axmed Access chief executive officer Emmanuel Akpakwu said access to affordable medicines is a pressing issue across the globe. He said the challenge of access lie with the supply chain.
Akpakwu said access is caused by inability for the governments to supply quality drugs and high cost of drugs adding that governments can access quality drugs at a cheaper price if they agree to buy drugs in bulk form.
Akpakwu said access to high-quality drugs should be made available and affordable to everyone regardless of wealth status or geography. He said the problem bedeviling the region is due to the supply chain gaps, which need to be tackled.
He said the cost of drugs in Africa is due to the existing inefficiencies. Akpakwu said once the inefficiencies are tackled the prices will just come down.
“For suppliers, it streamlines the procurement process and enhances transparency and reliability, ensuring medicines reach the communities that need them most,” Akpakwu said.
Angela Nguku, founder and executive director, White Ribbon Alliance, said Kenya healthcare system in Kenya should cease from using copy-and-paste solutions meant for other regions to fix healthcare challenges in the country.
