Harare, (New Ziana) – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is stepping up regional cooperation to improve access to affordable, quality-assured medical products through the operationalisation of the SADC Pharmaceuticals Pooled Procurement Services (SPPS).
In a post on its website, the regional bloc said its Secretariat convened the Fourth Steering Committee Meeting of the SPPS on October 29, 2026, in Lusaka, Zambia, to review implementation progress, address outstanding requirements and agree on priority actions ahead of the launch of the first pilot contracts.
The meeting was supported by German Cooperation and the African Development Bank (AfDB), which are serving as International Cooperating Partners.
“The two-day meeting focused on reviewing Member States’ expressions of commitment and submissions of proposed pilot products, identifying outstanding requirements and agreeing on remedial measures, responsible parties and implementation deadlines. The Steering Committee also considered a status report on regional demand consolidation to support the case for regional manufacturing of Lenacapavir, reflecting SADC’s broader efforts to strengthen pharmaceutical production capacity and improve the availability of essential medical products across the region,” SADC highlighted.
In his welcoming remarks, SADC Secretariat Senior Programme Officer for HIV/AIDS, Dr Lamboly Guy-Noel Kumboneki, stressed the need for collective action to improve access to quality medical products.
He said regional cooperation and pooled procurement would enable Member States to use their collective purchasing power to obtain quality-assured medicines and other medical products at more affordable prices while strengthening the reliability of supply chains.
Opening the meeting, its chairperson, Marione Schonfeldt, a Senior Pharmaceutical Specialist at South Africa’s National Department of Health, emphasised the urgency of operationalising the SPPS in the face of global supply chain disruptions, escalating medicine prices and persistent inequalities in access to essential medicines.
She also stressed the need to translate the progress made since the approval of the SPPS Charter in August 2026 into concrete implementation outcomes.
“Progress to date includes refining operational manuals, upgrading the SADC Medicines Database, advancing Member State commitments, consolidating regional demand for Lenacapavir, and identifying priority products for phased implementation. These milestones provide an important foundation for consolidating demand, engaging suppliers and progressing towards the commencement of the first pilot contracts,” SADC added.
The Steering Committee was urged to maintain the momentum by securing firm commitments from Member States, approving the proposed product lists and reaching agreement on regulatory pathways, financing mechanisms and a time-bound action plan for implementing the pilot contracts.
Participants also underscored the importance of coordinated regional strategies to strengthen pharmaceutical supply systems, lower procurement costs and develop sustainable medicine manufacturing capacity within the region.
As preparations continue towards the implementation of the first SPPS pilot contracts, the meeting reaffirmed Member States’ collective commitment to turning regional cooperation into practical benefits for their populations.
Through pooled demand, coordinated procurement and stronger partnerships with suppliers and cooperating partners, SADC aims to build a more resilient and sustainable supply system that improves access to essential medical products across the region.
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