About us

ADP works to ensure that people in low- and middle-income countries have access to life-saving health technologies – medicines, vaccines and diagnostic tools – with an emphasis on those technologies that address tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases.

The partners

ADP brings together the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) and PATH in a unique partnership that helps identify and strengthen capacity gaps in low- and middle-income countries in an innovative and integrated way.

Strengthening national health systems

In line with the overarching approach of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ADP adopts a systemic and integrated perspective towards health system strengthening, aimed at the interlinked targets of eliminating communicable and infectious diseases and achieving real progress towards universal health coverage.

Supporting national responses to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of ensuring equitable access to health services, as well as increasing availability of medicines, vaccines and diagnostic tools in response to established and emerging health threats.

Regional, global and
South-South cooperation

Focusing on common challenges across different health systems, ADP leverages the experiences and expertise of its network of stakeholders to deliver both policy lessons and technical solutions.

Focus countries

ADP collaborates with stakeholders in a number of focus countries – Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Senegal, United Republic of Tanzania and Thailand
– to implement a range of capacity-strengthening interventions, which are in line with the ADP strategic approach of leveraging the expertise of its four core partners and working across sectors to help strengthen and harmonize policies, regulations and systems, as well as build the capacities of key people and institutions.

Uniting Efforts

The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how close collaboration among multiple stakeholders can overcome major hurdles to the development, approval and delivery of new medicines, vaccines and diagnostic tools. But opportunities for such intense collaboration are rare, and access to new health technologies remains uneven.

Knowledge products

ADP knowledge products advance learning and contribute to improved policies, programmes and practices, as well as demonstrate human impact on the ground.

TDR Implementation research toolkit

This toolkit is designed to help teams conduct implementation research projects through a standard process to ensure reliable, high-quality results.

COVID-19 diagnostics procurement resource

An interactive tool to support procurement decisions by aggregating and streamlining publicly available information about the technical specifications, regulatory status and supply of COVID-19 diagnostic tests.

A pipeline analysis of new products for malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases

This working paper provides a comprehensive survey of new medicines, diagnostics and vaccines for malaria, TB and selected NTDs, that are currently in the pipeline for market entry by 2020.

Digital Health for Development Hub

A one-stop shop with technical, advisory and partnership support for scaling up digital health solutions.

News

New guide to value-based procurement of medical equipment

Posted July 13, 2020 By ADP

Photo Cover: Laboratory worker uses the GeneXpert® system at the Kasumbalesa Centre de Santé, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Photo by: PATH/Georgina Goodwin.

Value-based procurement (VBP) evaluates potential new products, services and solutions based on value for money rather than the lowest purchase price. VBP evaluation criteria include benefits to patients, service providers, national health systems and health technology management teams. VBP also considers the total lifecycle costs of equipment (including installation, training, operation and disposal costs) rather than simply the initial equipment cost.

An estimated 40% to 70% of medical equipment in low- and middle-income countries is broken, unused or unfit for purpose ⁽¹⁾. This failure impacts patient care, clinician workload, health system efficiency and health facility reputations. As health systems become increasingly strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, VBP can help ensure that appropriate medical equipment, including ventilators and laboratory equipment, are procured to meet the most urgent health needs.

Value-based procurement of medical equipment supports public sector procurement teams in resource-constrained health systems to implement a VBP approach when planning for and procuring new medical equipment.

Please review and comment on this guide. It has been reviewed and validated by key global procurement experts at PATH and other institutions. The guide draws upon earlier collaboration between the Indonesian Government Board for Public Procurement (LKPP) and the Access and Delivery Partnership in developing procurement practice for medical equipment and reflects guidance from WHO on integrating procurement into a Health Technology Management (HTM) strategy.

Whether you are a public procurement professional, program/facility manager, or biomedical engineer, we would like to hear from you at ADP@path.org.

You can download Value-based procurement of medical equipment in English, French and Spanish.

⁽¹⁾ Diaconu K, Chen YF, Cummins C, Jimenez Moyao G, Manaseki-Holland S, Lilford R. Methods for medical device and equipment procurement and prioritization within low- and middle-income countries: findings of a systematic literature review. Global Health. 2017;13(1):59.

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