JOHANNESBURG: THE Southern African Development Community (SADC), through a meeting of Permanent Secretaries and Health Experts, plans to begin implementing a joint procurement service for medicines and health commodities known as the SADC Pooled Procurement Services (SPPS).
The initiative aims to improve access to medicines, reduce costs, and stimulate local production of health products among member states, including Tanzania.
The Tanzanian delegation of experts was led by the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health responsible for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, Emmanuel Tayari.
The meeting was held in South Africa as part of preparations for the Joint Meeting of Ministers of Health and Ministers responsible for HIV and AIDS.
During the session at the level of experts and permanent secretaries, participants discussed and refined the draft charter that will establish the SPPS institution, in line with the principle of subsidiarity. The draft is being prepared for final approval by Ministers at their upcoming meeting.
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The meeting further agreed that SPPS will be led by the Medical Stores Department (MSD) of Tanzania, which will coordinate pooled procurement activities for SADC member states.
In addition, member states discussed initiating joint procurement through a group contracting mechanism. This system is intended to enhance procurement efficiency, lower the cost of health commodities, and improve the availability of medicines and medical supplies across the SADC region.
For its part, Tanzania expressed its intention to use the SPPS initiative as a strategic tool to strengthen domestic production of health commodities—not only to meet national demand but also to supply other countries within the SADC region. The move is expected to enhance the security of supply for health products and promote regional economic growth.