MedSource Shares its Vision for Quality, Affordable Medicines at East Africa Healthcare Federation Conference

September 13, 2019

MedSource Shares its Vision for Quality, Affordable Medicines at East Africa Healthcare Federation Conference

MedSource—a company dedicated to improving the availability and affordability of medicines and supplies—shared its work and vision with delegates at the 8th East Africa Healthcare Federation (EAHF) Conference last week. The conference, held September 5-6 in Nairobi, Kenya, brought together all seven member countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan, as well as approximately 350 delegates from around the world to advocate for policy change and to champion the interests of the private health sector for the common good in the region.

{Kenyan Minister of Health, CS Sicily Kariuki and the directors of the East Africa Healthcare Federation.}

The theme of this year’s conference was ‘From Strategy to Action: Advancing Health Systems in the SDG Era.’ The conference convener, Dr. Peter Kamunyo, CEO of MedSource, reiterated that EAHF is committed to raising the quality of health care for everyone and fostering regional collaboration and trade while striving to make meaningful contributions toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3: to “Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.”

{From Left to Right: Dr. Amit Thakker (EAHF), Yvette Ondachi (MedSource), CS Sicily Kariuki, Dr. Jacqueline Kitulu (KMA), Dr. Anastacia Nyalita (EAHF), Dr. Peter Kamunyo (MedSource) and Dr. Daniella Munene (PSK) at the MedSource booth.}

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Ms. Sicily Kariuki, kicked off the event with remarks that emphasized the role of government and the private sector to foster working public-private partnerships to achieve universal health coverage. She also urged the private sector to help address issues related to quality of care and to explore delivering value at the primary care level through high-volume, low-cost models.

After learning about the company’s work to lower drug prices and ensure access to quality products, Ms. Kariuki invited MedSource to further discuss opportunities to improve access to quality, affordable medicines and hospital products with her.

Launched by Management Sciences for Health in 2017, MedSource is the first private commercial group purchasing organization in Kenya. MedSource helps its members—pharmacies, hospitals, clinical laboratories, and other health care providers—realize savings and efficiencies by aggregating purchasing volume and using that leverage to negotiate discounts with manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and other vendors.