How to develop a sustainable pharmaceutical distribution in African countries? – Workshop 2022 04
The purchase of quality medicines and medical equipment remains a major problem in many rural areas of Africa, undermining the promise of universal access to care. Hspitals and health centers are not always able to obtain regular supplies from regional or national public procurement centers. Management of pharmacies is not always optimal resulting in stockouts and expiry date overruns. Private pharmacies are few in rural areas.
Their poor controlled supply circuits favor the presence of fake drugs that has become a real public health problem. The lack of pharmaceutical distribution relays prevents the creation of a drug market outside capital cities. This situation does not encourage the commitment of international companies.
The creation of reliable distribution networks in Africa is therefore an important issue. In some countries, the supply of pharmacies is provided by a buying cooperative (a wholesaler owned by the participating pharmacies). We would like to explore whether this type of organization can be adapted in Africa.
This workshop would like to explore
- How to develop pharmaceutical distribution networks in African countries
- Whether distribution cooperatives are a suitable model for Africa