Cosmas Omegoh
That the global Coronavirus pandemic has placed extreme pressure on healthcare systems in low- and lower-income countries like Nigeria and other African countries is not in doubt. Covid-19 pandemic has heralded a shortage of diagnostics, medical supplies and essential medical equipment such as personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, face masks, ventilators, and many others.
Due to these challenges, international pharmaceutical company, Novartis is collaborating with African Union (AU) to ensure that Covid-19 related medicines are easily accessed and at reduced prices in Africa.
According to Patrice Matchaba, Global Head, Corporate Responsibility for Novartis, during a recent interview, a new initiative developed in collaboration with AU Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) was developed as a direct response to these challenges under the leadership of AU Special Envoy, Strive Masiyiwa and powered by Janngo on behalf of the African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and in partnership with African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
Shedding light on AMSP, Matchaba said, “AMSP is an online marketplace that aggregates critical COVID-19 related supplies where governments and hospitals from 55 African Union Member States and 15 Caricom countries can place their orders. The platform further consolidates vetted and certified manufacturers from Africa, Asia, Europe, and America and provides the interface between these vendors and end-users, such as governments and hospitals, to ensure rapid accessibility, transparency and cost-effectiveness.”
He added that African governments had severe challenges with the procurement of essential supplies to support their response activities and face stiff competition, lack of access, prohibitive pricing and delivery delays.
“The online platform now integrates leading African and globally vetted medical suppliers to ensure cost-effectiveness, transparency and speed of delivery in the procurement and distribution of COVID-19 related supplies.
“Following a successful launch of the AMSP by the Chairperson of the African Union, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa on the 18th of June 2020, the Africa Medical Supplies platform has experienced a surge in demand for medical supplies from Member States of the African Union and has been adopted as a single online marketplace to enable the supply of COVID-19-related critical medical equipment in Africa.”
Listed on the Novartis COVID-19 portfolio to be enjoyed in the AMSP initiative, according to Matchaba are ‘15 medicines from its Sandoz division for gastro-intestinal illness, acute respiratory symptoms, pneumonia as well as septic shock. The medications in the portfolio are aligned to palliative (symptomatic) care recommended in the World Health Organisation interim guidance on the clinical management of COVID-19. Additionally, the portfolio includes Dexamethasone is the only medicine that has been shown so far to reduce deaths in severe COVID-19 Pneumonia patients in a randomized double blind study. The medicines will be made available to governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other institutional customers in up to 79 low-income and lower-middle-income countries at zero-profit to support financially-strained healthcare systems. Countries will have the flexibility to select the medicines in the portfolio that meet their healthcare needs.”