MoH advocates for pooled procurement to ease access to medicines

The Ministry of Health is now pushing for pooled procurement models to ease access to medicine.

Health Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Barasa said medicines are not just products but the cornerstone of healthcare tools that alleviate suffering, save lives and empower health systems to deliver better outcomes.

Speaking during the inaugural Axmed Access Summit on Thursday, Barasa said the pivotal gathering underscored the ministry’s shared mission to ensure that every Kenyan has access to quality, affordable medicines.

“When we speak about Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Social Health Initiative, we envision a future where every citizen, from urban centres to rural villages, benefits from a health system that is efficient, equitable, and resilient,” she said.

The CS said without reliable access to affordable medicines, even the most sophisticated health interventions fall short.

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According to her, to advance this agenda, the Kenya Kwanza administration is adopting key strategies, including pooled procurement and a push for local manufacturing.

She said such strategies are critical measures to strengthen Kenya’s health system, reduce reliance on external suppliers, and promote national health security.

“Through pooled procurement, we harness the collective purchasing power of health institutions to negotiate better prices, ensure superior quality, and minimise stockouts. This approach enables more efficient resource allocation, allowing us to reinvest in critical areas such as disease prevention, infrastructure development and primary healthcare services,” she said.

Under the theme of ‘Unlocking Access, Transforming Lives’ the summit saw Axmed introduce an Axmed Medicines Platform that aims at reimagining how underserved health systems and their populations access life-saving medicines.

By leveraging technology and an innovative business model, the platform seeks to address deep-rooted inefficiencies in healthcare procurement that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries.

Dr Barasa said ensuring that medicines reach every corner of Kenya efficiently and reliably is equally vital.

“That’s why we are prioritising coordinated supply chain systems, underpinned by digital technology and real-time data monitoring, to improve distribution, reduce waste, and enhance accountability,” she said.

The CS said a resilient, technology-driven supply chain not only supports routine care but also strengthens our emergency response capabilities.

She reiterated that the role of the private sector and international partners is crucial in this journey.

“Innovative partners like Axmed are driving groundbreaking solutions that align seamlessly with the Ministry of Health’s agenda. Axmed’s business-to-business (B2B) marketplace for medicines exemplifies how technology can revolutionize procurement,” she said adding, “By automating and streamlining supply chains, this platform ensures affordability, efficiency, and transparency.”

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Barasa said such innovations bolster the Kenya Kwanza administration’s efforts to build a health system that prioritizes accessible and affordable care for all Kenyans.

“This initiative complements our government's focus on supporting local manufacturing to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers and bolster national health security. The Social Health Initiative’s reforms anchored on pooled procurement, digital innovations, and local production will shield Kenyans from catastrophic health expenditures, ensuring that no citizen is forced to choose between essential treatment and basic necessities,” said Barasa.

Her sentiments were echoed by Axmed’s CEO Emmanuel Akpakwu who said WHO estimates that 80 per cent of the global population growth in the next decade will occur in lower and middle-income countries that are already carrying the heaviest disease burden.

"These regions face extraordinary challenges but also present immense opportunities for healthcare transformation, our platform tackles these inequities by consolidating fragmented systems, empowering buyers with efficiency, high quality, and affordability while enabling suppliers to scale sustainably in untapped markets,” said Mr Akpakwu.

He said the platform is open to all qualified procurers and aggregates demand across healthcare providers, hospitals, and governments, creating unmatched purchasing power for buyers.

For suppliers, Akpakwu said the platform streamlines the procurement process and enhances transparency and reliability, ensuring medicines reach the communities that need them most.

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With funding from the Gates Foundation and venture backer Founderful, Axmed is driving systemic change to improve access to essential medicines for underserved populations.

“While the Axmed Medicines Platform provides the infrastructure for scalable impact, the Axmed Access Summit is designed to inspire action and forge partnerships. Bringing together thought leaders from healthcare, technology, and policy, the summit aims to build actionable solutions to close access gaps,” he said.

He said the summit encourages dialogue across the healthcare value chain, enabling participants to share insights, build alliances, and co-create solutions that deliver medicines sustainably and at scale.

"Our success isn’t just about lowering costs; it’s about improving lives and strengthening healthcare systems, the platform and summit represent pivotal steps toward healthcare equity and we are committed to scaling this vision alongside partners who share our mission,” he said.