Marseille 2007
Marseille 2007
Abstract book
Go Back

Abstract #453  -  Procurement Policies and availability of ARVs in the African Francophone countries
Session:
  6.96: Posters A (Poster) on Monday   in  Chaired by
Authors:
  Presenting Author:   Dr Mamadou CAMARA - Universit Paris 13 Nord, France, Metropolitan
 
  Additional Authors:  Ms Cristina dAlmeida, Dr Fabienne Orsi, Dr Benjamin Coriat,  
Aim:
The paper intends to achieve two main objectives : (i) to analyse the new procurement policies on ARVs In such, it will describe the main structural characteristics concerning the procurement system (the organization chart, the procurement agencies: the legal statute, the financing models addressed to the procurement, the centralized/decentralized management of the distribution systems comprised within the national programs for ARV access held in the countries herein mentioned. ii) The second objective aims at evaluating the availability of ARV, by considering both their price and variety, for the 1st and 2nd lines of treatment. In pursuing these 2 objectives, the article will particularly address the question of the financial constraints which burden the national programs. The study will focus on 3 countries- Cameroon, Guinea and Senegal - wherein onsite interviews were performed, thanks to the sponsorship of ANRS.
 
Method / Issue:
Through the compilation of bibliographic references and the data derived from onsite interviews, the paper will describe and analyse the main structural characteristics concerning the procurement system (the organization chart, the procurement agencies: the legal statute, the financing models addressed to the procurement, the centralized/decentralized management of the distribution systems) comprised within the national programs for ARV access held in Cameroon, Guinea and Senegal.
 
Results / Comments:
The analysis will be performed with a view to achieve the following results: - The different types of procurement models adopted in the countries herein mentioned, by considering some key characteristics that will allow their identification and classification ; - The implications of these models on the availability of ARVs, taking into consideration the price and the quality of these drugs. - The identification of the impacts of the financial conditions and contraints over the procurement models and their implications on drug availability.
 
Discussion:
In the end of the 90s, the African francophone countries have experienced a new momentum regarding their procurement policies, which were since then founded upon two new structural pillars: (i) the governmental commitment aiming at the extension of the autonomy of the Procurement Agencies, with a view to improve their efficacy and (ii) the establishment of new eligible procedures adopted towards the selection of drug suppliers, with a view to prioritize the low cost generic manufacturers. This new procurement policy also comprised ARVs and has gradually transformed the availability of the ARVs in these countries, with close relation with the scale-up of the national ARV access programs. Even though the political implications of this new procurement policy might vary amongst the countries and the contexts at stake - mostly due to the financing mechanisms of the procurement systems (and the constraints derived thereof) its implementation has yielded notable changes. Despite of the diverse achievements observed in these countries, this new policy has resulted in some instability within the procurement and distribution chains, which, in turn, directly affects the local availability of ARVs. Such availability problems are observable both I for what concerns the diversity of ARVs (the quantity and type of ARVs that considerably hinder the access to some second line treatments) as well as the price (namely, existence of relevant gaps amongst the various treatment regimens, according to their composition and, in particular, their patent status in the country). Such difficulties were reinforced by the strengthening of the international intellectual property legislation, namely after 2005, which has posed additional constraints to the availability of ARVs,
 
Go Back

  Disclaimer   |   T's & C's   |   Copyright Notice    www.AIDSImpact.com www.AIDSImpact.com