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International trade

Leveraging Public Procurement for Global Access to Health Technologies

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) co-hosted a technical webinar to discuss the role of public procurement in promoting global, equitable, and timely access to health technologies. The webinar highlighted the importance of effective public procurement procedures, which depend on access to quality information, clear understanding of needs, and the ability of suppliers to deliver quality products at affordable prices. The event featured presentations from experts representing regional and local mechanisms, showcasing their approaches to public procurement.

Key Takeaways:

  • Public procurement plays a critical role in driving access to medical technologies, with pharmaceuticals often being made available through public funding or subsidies. (Clive Ondari, WHO Secretariat)
  • Effective public procurement systems must rely on quality medical products obtained in a timely manner, in the required quantities, and at affordable prices. (Clive Ondari, WHO Secretariat)
  • Collaboration and tailored strategies are essential to ensure that procurement serves as an effective tool for innovation and access. (Amy Dietterich, WIPO Secretariat)
  • A cross-disciplinary approach, including IP, procurement, and competition frameworks, is necessary to effectively address global health challenges. (Roger Kampf, WTO Secretariat)
  • Public procurement can foster technology transfer, boost local manufacturing capacities, and strengthen R&D capacities as well as supply chain resilience. (Roger Kampf, WTO Secretariat)
  • Procurement is a lever to improve affordability, availability, accessibility, and acceptability for health products and technologies, as part of the WHO Roadmap on Access to Medicines 2025 -- 2030. (Lisa Hedman, WHO Secretariat)
  • Well-designed, pro-competitive tenders are essential for rewarding R&D, preventing monopolies, and improving access, and IP due diligence early in procurement processes is crucial. (Giovanni Napolitano, WIPO Secretariat)
  • Combined pooled public procurement with international trade can attract international suppliers offering competitive prices or superior quality, and foster global supply chain resilience. (Astghik Solomonyan, WTO Secretariat)
  • Countries such as Indonesia have strategically positioned public procurement as a key instrument to drive national innovation and industrial development. (Lucia Rizka Andalucia, Ministry of Health Indonesia)
  • The Revolving Fund mechanism enables countries across the Americas to access quality vaccines, essential medicines, and health products through pooled procurement. (Santiago Cornejo, PAHO)
  • The EU joint procurement mechanism ensures equitable access to essential health products among member states and complements national initiatives. (Katarzyna Motyka, EU HERA)
  • Regional efforts, such as the Gulf Joint Procurement Program, have developed efficient decision-making processes for pooled procurement tendering to facilitate the procurement of medicines and medical supplies. (Fathi Alkathiry, Gulf Health Council)
  • Africa's experience with public procurement highlights the role of regional economic communities in fostering collaboration and the importance of public procurement in national health strategies. (Wesley Ronoh, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention)

Statistics:

  • An estimated 40% of health spending in many African countries occurs through public procurement. (Wesley Ronoh, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • In 2024, the Gulf region counted 74 pharmaceutical factories and 140 medical supply factories. (Fathi Alkathiry, Gulf Health Council)
  • The Trilateral collaboration of WHO, WIPO, and WTO has organized capacity building and technical assistance activities on current issues to enhance the flow of updated and technical information related to innovation and access to health technologies.

Sources:

  • The World Health Organization (WHO)
  • The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  • The World Trade Organization (WTO)
  • WHO Secretariat
  • WIPO Secretariat
  • WTO Secretariat
  • Ministry of Health Indonesia
  • Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
  • EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA)
  • Gulf Health Council
  • Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Multimedia Investments Ltd
  • Contify.com

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