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Pharmaceutical Sector

HERA's mission is to promote accessible, efficient and equitable health services and health systems. Access to essential medicines is an essential component of health services. Therefore HERA assists its clients in developing robust pharmaceutical sector policies and strategies with cost-effectiveness, equity and sustainability as underlying principles.

HERA's experience in pharmaceutical sector development covers studies on behalf of national governments (e.g. Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), multilateral development agencies (e.g. the European Commission, UNICEF, World Health Organisation and the World Bank), bilateral development agencies (e.g. DANIDA, DFID, DGIS), and NGOs (e.g. Health Action International, MSF, Wemos).

Specific fields of expertise include the following:


Pharmaceutical Sector Reviews

Pharmaceutical sector reviews are often requested by national authorities in order to review sector organisation and performance, and identify areas for improvement (e.g. in terms of efficiency, equity, accessibility, sustainability); or by development agencies prior to deciding on areas for support or to measure sector performance.

HERA has developed a specific tool for implementing pharmaceutical sector reviews but also does focused reviews when requested.

Some examples of pharmaceutical sector reviews that resulted in concrete proposals for donor support are:

  • Ethiopia: design, master plan and implementation plan for a new health commodities supply system (for MOH, financed by Unicef, 2005-2006).
  • South Africa: pharmaceutical sector assessment (for MOH, financed by DFID, 1996).
  • Tanzania: pharmaceutical sector review (for MOH, financed by Danida, 2003-2004).
  • Zambia: pharmaceutical sector support (for MOH, financed by the Netherlands Embassy, 2002-2006).
  • Zimbabwe: pharmaceutical sector support (for MOH, financed by European Commission, 2004)
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National Medicines Policy Development

Sector reviews that resulted in adjusting national policies, strategies, sector plans or health sector reforms are for example:

  • Kenya: pharmaceutical sector review (for MOH, financed by World Bank, 2004).
  • Lesotho: pharmaceutical sector review (for MOH, financed by World Bank, 2002-2003).
  • Namibia: pharmaceutical sector support (for MOH, financed by European Commission, 1996-2001).
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Essential Drugs Programme Support

HERA staff has substantial experience in running Essential Drug Programmes in Africa (the Gambia, Namibia, South Africa). In addition, HERA staff and consultants have extensive experience in designing, costing, backstopping and evaluating essential drug programmes.

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Acces to Medicines Campaigns

HERA staff has worked with NGO's like MSF, Wemos and HAI in analysing barriers to access to medicine, performing lobby activities and designing projects and campaigns to promote better access to medicines.

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Procurement and Tender Support

HERA staff and consultants have supported many Ministries of Health in Africa with procurement and tender support, amongst them Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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Drug Regulatory Authority Support

HERA staff has trained and supported staff of African Drug Regulatory Authorities. Drug regulators of Tanzania and Zimbabwe have worked with HERA to assist their colleagues in Kenya.

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Selection of Essential Medicines

HERA staff and consultants have assisted several Ministries of Health in Africa with a review of their essential medicines lists including Libya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zanzibar.

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Quantification of Essential Drug Needs

HERA staff and consultants have published and reviewed quantification methodologies, and assisted several countries with quantification of essential medicines needs since the late 1980s, e.g. Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia.

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Drug Supply Management Systems Strengthening

HERA staff and consultants have extensive experience in planning and executing Drug Supply Management surveys, and in evaluating and strengthening Drug Supply Management systems. Recent studies were done in Kenya and Lesotho.

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Rational Use Surveys

HERA staff and consultants are well conversed with the WHO/INRUD methodology to assess rational use of medicines through rapid survey techniques. Survey results have also been used by HERA consultants for the design of national rational use policies: see our Kenya study.

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Training and Human Resource Development

HERA staff regularly teach on pharmaceutical topics in Masters and other Training courses in European Universities and NGOs. HERA also has a wide network which can mobilize specific training experts on nearly all pharmaceutical topics.

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