A New Perspective
The PAHO Strategic Fund is a mechanism created to promote access to quality essential public health supplies in the Americas. The Strategic Fund links the acquisition of medicines and essential public health supplies with technical processes in planning and programming. Through the Strategic Fund the procurement of essential medicines and basic public health products takes on a new perspective as it is accompanied by technical support from PAHO in supply systems management and acquisition of low cost products that meet quality standards.
The Strategic Fund is an important initiative for PAHO Member States as it provides support to overcome obstacles that countries tend to face in the acquisition of essential public health supplies:
- In the area of demand forecasting for pharmaceutical products, the Strategic Fund offers technical support in planning, programming, and forecasting of supplies to ensure continuous availability.
- The Strategic Fund offers the possibility to acquire products that meet international quality standards.
- For expensive products and supplies of limited availability, the Strategic Fund aims to negotiate competitive prices by consolidating demand and achieving economies of scale.
- In price referencing, the Strategic Fund provides information to the Member States.
- In relation to pharmaceutical products available through other global initiatives, the Strategic Fund will serve as a link with suppliers prequalified at international level.
Acquisition of Essential Public Health Supplies
Barriers |
Strategic Fund Solutions |
|---|---|
| Inadequate planning | Improve national capacity in planning processes |
| Limited knowledge of pharmaceutical markets | Extensive experience in the acquisition of pharmaceutical products at the global level |
| Untrustworthy suppliers | Prequalified suppliers |
| Expensive strategic public health supplies | Competitive prices |
| Lack of reference prices | Current reference prices |
To assist Member States overcome these difficulties and promote equitable access to essential medicines and other basic products in the region, the 45th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization, in September of 2004, recommended strengthening the PAHO Strategic Fund as a valuable support tool to ensure the constant availability of public health supplies.
The Strategic Fund Objectives are:
- To encourage member states to improve planning capabilities in the acquisition and use of supplies;
- To promote the implementation of appropriate quality assurance procedures in the acquisition of supplies;
- To further the continuous availability of supplies within PAHO Member States;
- To facilitate the acquisition of strategic public health supplies by PAHO member states at reduced cost by taking advantage of the potential savings offered by economies of scale;
- To strengthen member states' public health programs and the application of pertinent PAHO/WHO normative mandates.
