BioVoice News December 2016-January 2017 Issue 8 Volume 1 | Page 36

Table 3 : Comparator Table Pharmaceutical Sales 2013 and current ICH , PIC / S Affiliation , GDF / TGF qualification

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considered for anti-TB medicines procurement ? This appears unlikely and could also be a reason why manufacturers from these countries are not widely seen engaging in the business of anti-TB medicines supply or investing in it .

Overriding institutional and functional concerns also raise general doubt on the approach taken in sourcing TB medicines . There is first the objectionable practice of UN organizations accepting tied aid from donors .

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(* excluding Puerto Rico sales , 40420 mn US $)

Second , for the core question of determining the markets from which products can be sourced , it does not seem appropriate for public procurement functions of organisations in the UN System to outsource such central issue – moreover without an established accountability relationship - to an external entity , however well qualified it may be . Determining eligible supply sources , or defining these so as to enable direct identification , remains a core function of public procurement institutions . These could , as mentioned , be well linked to a risk assessment scheme .

In conclusion , TB stakeholders are called on to set about establishing a definition of strict national regulatory authorities and to align their quality assurance policies with such definition . Such undertaking will achieve compliance with WHA 62.15 and be serving the public interest by increasing access to affordable medicines . For TB , this would mean an improvement in global TB-control and contributing to ultimate elimination of TB , both for drugresistant and drug-susceptible forms of TB .

Note : Declaration on absence of conflict of interest : I hereby confirm that I have no conflict of interest with regard to this article , the research for and drafting of which has been supported by own funds .

Refrences are available on request

JOHN F . LOEBER

With a background in law and engineering , Mr John F . Loeber , a national of Ireland and Germany and currently Chief Procurement Officer in the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti ( MINUSTAH ), has over 25 years ’ experience in the UN ( UN Secretariat , UNHCR , WHO , UNICEF ), EU , national systems and the private sector . His expertise is in public procurement , legal affairs , risk management and technical cooperation , with a focus on Global Public Health from 2004 to 2014 . Additional areas of expertise encompass programme and project management , ERP systems , product innovation , grant management , internal control and training . In 14 years with the UN , Mr Loeber has overseen procurement totalling about 1 bn US $ and handled international contracts amounting to approximately 4 bn US $. His professional activities have been supplemented by voluntary ones , e . g . as Staff Member of the WHO Board of Appeal , WHO and UNHCR Staff Association Polling Officer , Editorial Adviser of the WHO Bulletin , and also as Board Chair of the Copenhagen International School .

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BioVoiceNews | December 2016 - January 2017