PPM

ABSTRACT On 3 August 2022, the Office of the Inspector General of the Global Fund released a new audit report on Wambo.org, the online procurement platform that supports the Pooled Procurement Mechanism. The audit revealed that the platform is heavily reliant on manual controls occasioned by extensive procurement workflows. It also noted that the Secretariat, based on the design of the delegated procurement model, does not check with the grant implementers if procured commodities were fully delivered before paying the Procurement Service Agents for their services.

ABSTRACT Procurement via the pooled procurement mechanism and Wambo.org reduces the purchasing capacity of national agencies and deprives them of resources necessary for their survival and activities. Those agencies then inflate the prices of commodities that are not subsidized, which raises equity questions for those requiring treatment for other diseases.

ABSTRACT Several developments relating to the Global Fund and COVID-19 in Africa have been published. These include the impact of COVID-19 on malaria control thus far; the measures the Global Fund has taken to address financial and procurement irregularities in Kenya; as well as the development of a quick and affordable approach to COVID-19 testing in Kenya.

ABSTRACT The Office of the Inspector General has published a follow up audit of the Global Fund’s procurement processes. The audit report shows material improvements in these processes, but also shows that the Global Fund is yet to sufficiently address several issues flagged in the 2015 audit, and other subsequent audits. The Global Fund has commented, citing internal leadership issues as part of the reason for the delays.

ABSTRACT The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) is the government body authorized to procure and distribute Global Fund-supported health commodities. KEMSA obtains competitive prices compared to the Global Fund’s Pooled Procurement Mechanism, stock-outs of health commodities happen rarely, and orders are delivered on time. This article shows how – in some cases – a country’s independent procurement, if well managed, can work as well as the Fund’s pooled procurement.

ABSTRACT Currency fluctuations are a major concern for Global Fund stakeholders, particularly recipient countries whose domestic currency can experience significant shifts over relatively short periods of time. The strength of both the US dollar and the Euro in recent years has further exacerbated this issue for many countries. However, a significant portion of Global Fund grant monies are managed in ways that limit their vulnerability to such local shifts, thereby protecting grants from major losses due to unfavorable foreign exchange rates.

ABSTRACT Almost all of the targets for the 2017-2022 Key Performance Indicator Framework have now been approved, providing the Global Fund with a full set of targets against which to measure its work for the next few years.

ABSTRACT Clients using the wambo.org platform are generally quite satisfied, but the project has experienced delays, according to an audit conducted by the Office of the Inspector General. In addition, the OIG said, wambo.org has not achieved projected savings, and has not improved lead times for orders, compared to the Pooled Procurement Mechanism.

ABSTRACT The Global Fund and other international agencies have pushed back on claims that the major purchasers of HIV medications are overly dependent on a select few manufacturers. A recent article warned that this dependence could possibly result in drug shortages.

RÉSUMÉ Les maîtres d’oeuvre des subventions du Fonds mondial seront en mesure de vérifier les prix et passer des commandes pour les médicaments, d'autres produits de santé et des produits non-médicaux sur le nouveau marché en ligne du Fonds mondial.