The Tripoli based Libyan Ministry of Health announced yesterday that Libya has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to officially join the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM).
Libya thus joins a group of African nations—including Egypt, Ghana, Botswana, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Tunisia—participating in this initiative.
The mechanism aims to enhance the collective bargaining power of African nations regarding the procurement of essential medicines and medical supplies, support local manufacturing, and improve the availability and affordability of health products, thereby bolstering the continent's health supply security.
The Ministry said Libya’s accession to the APPM marks a significant step toward the state's goal of localizing medical industries and supply production, ensuring the sustainability of health supplies, and expanding opportunities for cooperation and engagement with the African health market. This enables Libya to play a greater role in continental procurement, manufacturing, and supply chain systems.
Libya assumes chairmanship of Regional Technical Advisory Committee (ReTAC)
In a related development, the Ministry reported that Libya is strengthening its leadership presence within the Africa CDC framework by assuming the chairmanship of the Regional Technical Advisory Committee (ReTAC) for North Africa.
This move, it added, reflects Libya’s growing role in African health initiatives and provides a platform for the country to contribute to defining regional health priorities and coordinating cooperation among North African nations.
The Ministry said Libya’s participation in APPM and its assumption of the ReTAC presidency combine active engagement in building a more integrated African health market with a leadership role in regional health coordination; this reinforces Libya’s position as an effective partner in the continent’s efforts to achieve health security and rely on African capabilities and resources.