Africa's pooled buying club for medicines goes continental

Buying medicines alone is expensive; buying together is leverage. In Addis Ababa on 15 October, the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism stepped up from pilot to a fully-fledged continental programme: eight African Union member states signed the memorandum, fifteen more said they intend to join, and 89 manufacturers from 15 African countries have already registered as suppliers. Led by Dr Mariatou Tala Jallow, the mechanism pools demand across countries to push prices down and keep essential health products in stock — the kind of unglamorous plumbing that decides whether a clinic shelf is full.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: institutional program