The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) signed an agreement with the Mexican Institute of Health for Wellbeing (INSABI) for the procurement of medicines and medical aid supplies for the period 2021 - 2024. Through the modality of international tender bidding, UNOPS seeks to encourage effective competition, equal participation and transparency, all while ensuring the best price and quality conditions.
As part of the agreement, UNOPS will directly purchase essential medicines and vital drugs on behalf of Mexican health institutions which will then be distributed by national authorities.
The medicine groups that will be up for solicitation are: Analgesia, Anesthesia, Cardiology, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology, Gynecology, Hematology, Immuno-allergy, Poisoning, Medical Aid Supplies, Nephrology, Pneumology, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Oncology, Otorhinolaryngology, Family Planning, Psychiatry, Rheumatology, and Solutions.
The Mexican Association of Pharmaceutical Research Industries (AMIIF), which brings together the national and international most important research-based pharmaceutical companies, expressed its concerns for the protection of the intellectual property of those products that are patented, since it is a critical issue that generates certainty in local and foreign investments.
UNOPS will draw on expertise in public procurement and a successful track record in the procurement of medicines in Latin America and globally. UNOPS Regional Observatory for Medicine Prices allows for the comparison of medicine prices from official sources in 21 countries, in order to achieve the best prices and best use of public finances.
In 2019, UNOPS and Mexico signed a framework agreement to improve the management of public procurement and infrastructure projects in the country. Since then, UNOPS has been advising the government on improving public management which can generate cost savings, offering solutions to address corruption, and to increase competitiveness and effectiveness. This has included supervision and tracking of national and federal contracts, projects, proposals and tenders, and assisting with economic proposals.
