who medicines strategy - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization

COMPONENTS OF THE STRATEGY | 79Challenges remainingExisting government policies, rules, andregulations for procurement, as well asinstitutional structures, are frequently inadequateand sometimes hinder overall purchasingefficiency. Other continuing challenges includeerratic funding, lack of accurate objectiveinformation, poor decision-making processes,and poor supplier performance. More recentchallenges include: increasing pressure onprocurement agencies to obtain the lowestpossible price; greater difficulty in assuring thesource and quality of medicines in an increasinglyglobal pharmaceutical market; and the needfor procurement agencies to better understandpatents and the available safeguards in the TRIPSAgreement. Government procurement agenciesare also affected by emerging trends such asincreasing interest in regional and sub-regionalprocurement, large-scale procurement withGlobal Fund financing, and the integration of theprocurement of products for reproductive healthinto the regular government procurement systems.Meeting the challenges 2004-2007Over the next four years WHO will:> expand its work on good procurementpractice to support regional and nationalefforts to improve procurement systems andpractices.OUTCOME INDICATORS1999 2003 2007No. of countries with at least 75% of public sectorprocurement carried out by competitive tender> complete work on the Guidelines forAssessment of a Procurement Agency.> expand the listing of qualified suppliers ofselected essential medicines and technicalguidance on patents.> provide support to at least 20 countries in theuse of the Operational Package for AssessingCountry Pharmaceutical Situation.> facilitate WHO’s ‘3 by 5’ initiative bysupporting about 30 countries with high HIV/AIDS incidence in efforts to strengthen theirnational procurement systems.#REPORTING % TARGET#REPORTING % TARGET81/88 92% 95% 58/70 83% 87%