The Second Workshop of the public procurement agencies in the South-East Asia Region on improving access to medicines

Access to vital medical products is essential for achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2018 Delhi Declaration reaffirmed this commitment for the South-East Asia (SEA) region, highlighting it as a central priority within the Regional Director’s flagship program. Despite recent progress, challenges persist, exacerbated by natural disasters and other emergencies that disrupt supply chains for essential medical products. Expenditure on medicines constitutes the single biggest component of outof-pocket spending in the SE Asia Region. Public procurement agencies are essential for ensuring the availability of medical products. Strengthening their capacity enhances quality, equitable access, and affordability, and reduces out-of-pocket expenses for patients. Improved access enables the use of public health facilities among underserved populations and enhances financial protection. Additionally, maintaining product quality while minimizing waste and inefficiencies in procurement and distribution is crucial. The first workshop of the public procurement agencies in the WHO South-East Asia Region on improving access to medicines was organized in July 2023, Chennai, India. The first workshop brought together public procurement agencies from the region, facilitating the exchange of information and ideas. Participants benefited from networking opportunities and side discussions, as well as a field visit to Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation TNMSC, which provided valuable insights into effective practices.

The second workshop was held in May 2024 and it aimed to foster regional cooperation among public procurement agencies in South-East Asia, share insights on national contexts, identify gaps and best practices, and discuss pooled procurement and quality assurance mechanism