The (Africa CDC) is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of its first African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) tender for essential medicines for Reproductive, Maternal, and Newborn Health (RMNCH), covering 10 priority products across 10 African Union Member States.
This milestone marks a significant step in transforming access to life-saving maternal and newborn health commodities, while advancing Africa’s broader agenda of health security, affordability, and market shaping.
The tender process, conducted through an open international competitive process, achieved:
- Substantial cost savings, with pooled procurement delivering 30–90% lower prices compared with Member State benchmarks
- Improved supply security through the establishment of non-exclusive framework agreements with multiple qualified suppliers
- Strong competition, with 13 bids received and evaluated through a transparent, multi-stage process
- Participation of African manufacturers, with 5 of the 10 RMNCH products involving African manufacturers
These outcomes demonstrate the power of aggregated demand in improving access, affordability, and value for money.
, Director General of Africa CDC, said:
“This tender demonstrates that Africa can shape its own markets. By pooling demand across countries, we are not only reducing costs — we are creating the conditions for sustainable supply and stronger health systems. This is how we translate cooperation into impact for women, mothers, and newborns across the continent. This is public financial management and market shaping in action.”
Beyond procurement, the APPM is designed to build sustainable markets for health products in Africa.
This tender demonstrates that:
- Pooled procurement can unlock significant efficiencies
- Predictable demand signals can support supplier participation and market entry
- There is growing, though still limited, participation of African manufacturers, highlighting both progress and the need for further investment
Africa CDC will continue to expand the supplier base, particularly among African manufacturers, while strengthening competition and diversification as the number of products available through the APPM continues to rapidly expand.
About Africa CDC
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is the public health agency of the African Union. As an autonomous institution, Africa CDC supports AU Member States to strengthen health systems, improve disease surveillance, and enhance emergency preparedness and response. For more information, visit: http://www.africacdc.org and follow Africa CDC on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube.
Media Contact
Margaret Edwin, Director of Communication and Public Information | edwinm@africacdc.org
