Strengthening regional pooled procurement in Africa: Building capacity for equitable access to health products
Ensuring equitable access to affordable, quality-assured health products remains a critical challenge across many countries. Fragmented national procurement systems often lead to price disparities, supply insecurity, and unequal access—particularly for smaller markets.
One promising solution is regional pooled procurement, where countries collaborate to purchase health commodities collectively improving bargaining power, reducing costs, and strengthening supply security. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the urgency of such approaches, highlighting Africa’s reliance on external suppliers and accelerating momentum for coordinated, regional solutions.
hera was recently commissioned for a consultancy by the The Global Fund focused on supporting African regional institutions to advance this approach. The project provided technical assistance to several Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and continental partners to strengthen the design and operationalisation of inter-country pooled procurement mechanisms.
Advancing regional collaboration in procurement
The project supported pooled procurement initiatives across several major African regional bodies:
East African Community (EAC)
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
The African Union Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) at the continental level
The overarching goal was to strengthen collaborative procurement models that allow participating countries to jointly procure essential health commodities. By working together, countries can improve negotiating power with suppliers, streamline procurement processes, and ultimately expand access to life-saving medicines and health products.
A structured approach to capacity building
hera delivered a comprehensive package of technical support tailored to each regional mechanism, including:
Stakeholder Mapping and Ecosystem Analysis
Identifying and analysing the key stakeholders involved in each pooled procurement mechanism helped clarify institutional roles, partnerships, and decision-making structures across the regions.
Understanding the full ecosystem—including regional secretariats, national procurement agencies, development partners, and suppliers—was essential to identifying opportunities for stronger collaboration.
Tailored Needs Assessments
Each mechanism operates in a unique institutional and operational context. To reflect this, the consultancy conducted customised needs assessments examining:
Institutional governance and coordination
Financial sustainability
Technical and operational capacity
Procurement and supply chain processes
These assessments highlighted the main gaps and challenges preventing mechanisms from reaching full operational potential.
Co-creating strategic roadmaps
Working closely with each regional secretariat, hera co-developed phased strategic roadmaps outlining:
Clear long-term objectives
Sequenced implementation phases
Concrete operational actions
These roadmaps were designed collaboratively to ensure ownership and alignment with institutional mandates, while also serving as practical tools for implementation and partner coordination.
Prioritising technical support
Another key outcome was the identification of priority areas for technical assistance, categorised across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons. This structured prioritisation helps development partners better coordinate support and ensures that interventions address the most critical bottlenecks first.
Facilitating dialogue and validation
The consultancy also actively participated in regional and continental meetings, workshops, and consultations, both in-person and virtual.
Structured interviews and validation sessions with each secretariat helped confirm findings from the assessments, align expectations across stakeholders, and refine recommendations and action plans.
This collaborative process ensured that the final outputs reflected the realities and priorities of the regional institutions involved. .
Key lessons from across regions
Across EAC, SADC, ECOWAS, and the APPM, several cross-cutting lessons emerged that are critical to the success of pooled procurement mechanisms:
1. Political support must translate into operational ownership
High-level endorsements provide legitimacy, but progress depends on empowered technical teams and functioning secretariats. Without operational follow-through, initiatives risk stalling.
2. Legal and regulatory alignment is foundational
Harmonised legal frameworks and regulatory reliance mechanisms must be established early. Misalignment can prevent countries from participating in pooled tenders altogether.
3. Start small and scale through phased approaches
Pilot initiatives and early “quick wins” help build trust, demonstrate value, and reduce the risk of overwhelming institutions.
4. Sustainable financing models are essential
Innovative mechanisms—such as revolving funds, clearing houses, and service fees—are needed to reduce reliance on donor funding and ensure long-term viability.
5. Member state trust and incentives drive uptake
Countries must see tangible benefits, retain a voice in governance, and receive capacity support. Without this, participation remains low.
6. Continental coordination is critical
Regional mechanisms and the APPM must complement rather than duplicate each other. Effective coordination maximises economies of scale and reduces fragmentation.
These lessons highlight that successful pooled procurement requires more than technical design. It depends on aligning political commitment with operational capacity, establishing strong legal and financial foundations, and maintaining trust among participating countries.
The Global Fund is uniquely positioned to support this transformation by:
Conditioning support on both political and operational readiness
Financing early pilots and catalytic investments
Supporting legal harmonisation and regulatory alignment
Incentivising participation through its grant mechanisms
Using its convening power to strengthen coordination across regions
Looking ahead
The assignment delivered a comprehensive overview of the current status of each pooled procurement mechanism, highlighting key challenges, development needs, and potential partners.
Through the joint roadmap-development process, secretariats gained:
Clear strategic direction for strengthening procurement mechanisms
Identified priority areas for development and implementation
Greater clarity on potential international partners and support opportunities
These outcomes support the structured and strategic evolution of regional procurement initiatives.
The consultancy produced evidence-based recommendations on priority technical support areas. The project also strengthened the organisation’s engagement with regional and continental procurement initiatives, expanding its network and visibility while fostering closer collaboration with the different secretariats. With continued collaboration among regional bodies, global partners, and national governments, pooled procurement could play a crucial role in improving health outcomes across the continent.
As regional and global stakeholders increasingly explore collaborative procurement models, the need for practical, technically grounded support continues to grow. With experience supporting regional institutions, facilitating stakeholder alignment, and developing actionable roadmaps, hera is well positioned to help organisations design, strengthen, and operationalise pooled procurement mechanisms.
If your organisation is interested in advancing collaborative procurement initiatives or strengthening regional health market systems, we encourage you to connect with us to explore how similar technical support could be tailored to your context. Contact us at hera@hera.eu.