According to WHO, more than 100 countries have incorporated the WHO provisions of Good Practices in the Manufacture and Quality Control of Drugs (“GMP as recommended by WHO”) into their national medicines laws, and more have adopted its provisions in defining their own national GMP rules. But some countries that transitioned had not adhered to the WHO Scheme, as procurement through the Pooled Procurement Mechanism PPM[1] provided all guarantees in terms of quality, delivery lead-time and pricing. Managing their own procurement for HIV and malaria drugs, these countries often had to resort to one-time waivers instead of upgrading their protocols to WHO standards, creating uncertainties as to quality over time.

[1]Establishment in 2009 to guarantee a cost effective and efficient procurement process by compensating for countries’ procurement bottlenecks and supply chain management weaknesses, and facilitating timely access to pharmaceuticals and health products, the PPM is a “Global Fund strategic initiative that aggregates order volumes on behalf of participating grant recipients to negotiate prices and delivery conditions with manufacturers.” In 2018, the Pooled Procurement Mechanism managed US$1 billion in orders, serving grant recipients in 63 countries, and generated US$ 175 million savings.