Procurement Policies – an example for ensuring vaccine security: the ASEAN

vaccine security and self-reliance initiative

Unchalee Siripitayakunkit, Dr. PH.

National Vaccine Institute, Thailand

Outline of Presentation

1. Introduction for National Vaccine Institute (NVI)

2. Regional Collaborative Initiatives on AVSSR

3. ASEAN Price Policy for Vaccine (APPV) and pooled procurement

4. Ongoing works and ways forward

The National Vaccine Institute (PO), Thailand

� The National Vaccine Institute (NVI) was officially established in 2012 as a public organization under the Royal Decree

� The NVI is an autonomous public agency that operates in compliance with the National Vaccine Policy and Strategic Plan

� The NVI supports and promotes all activities related to vaccine value chain (R&D, production, regulation, and immunization) by collaborative networks in country and international organizations

The National Vaccine Institute (PO) Thailand:

Vision:

To be a national, non-profit organization trusted by all

parties, coordinating for vaccine development to achieve vaccine security and self-reliance at national level

Mission:

1. To become a high potential organization, driving the national vaccine policy and strategic plan

2. To promote the development of human resources and infrastructures required for vaccine development

Mission: (Cont)

3. To build the collaborative network among vaccine-related experts and professionals at the national and international levels

4. To generate and manage vaccine-related information, knowledge and technology

Ultimate goal: moving Thailand forward to be the nation with security and self-reliance on vaccine in both normal and urgency situations”

The National Vaccine Institute (PO) Thailand:

2014: A Starting Year for Regional Collaborative Initiatives

on ASEAN Vaccine Security and Self-Reliance (AVSSR)

� In the late 2013, National Vaccine Committee (NVC) took note of the official establishment of ASEAN Community in 2015 and the urgent need to develop an ASEAN-specific, post-2015 health development agenda

� The NVC suggested: in 2014-2015 should be the appropriate time to bring the attention issue of regional vaccine security and self-reliance for all ASEAN countries and relevant international partners.

Regional Collaborative Initiatives on ASEAN Vaccine

Security and Self-Reliance (AVSSR)

� Two regional workshops on vaccine security and self-

reliance have been organized by the NVI, Thailand, in close

partnership with the WHO (SEARO and WPRO)

1. October 1-3, 2014 in Phuket, Thailand“Workshop among ASEAN Countries forRegional Vaccine Security”

Regional Collaborative Initiatives on ASEAN Vaccine

Security and Self-Reliance (AVSSR)

2. August 17-18, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand “Follow-Up Workshop on Collaborative Models for the Effective Communication and

Coordination among ASEAN Countries for Regional Vaccine Security”

Main Workshop Objective: 2014-2015

� To explore potential areas for collaboration and integration among ASEAN countries on vaccine security and self-reliance (VSSR)

Participants

- Country experts working in the four main areas of vaccine life cycle: research and development, production, regulation, national immunization from 10 ASEAN countries

- Representatives from international organizations/institutions: WHO, ASEAN Secretariat, MoH of Sri Lanka, ASEAN-NDI, DCVMN, IVI, NRA Alliance, NCL Network, TCELS

Results of the First Workshop

� Workshop was intensively discussed on how to increase collaboration and integration among ASEAN countries, with a focus on resource pooling in support of vaccine research and development, including production for regional specific needs

� To enhance VSSR in ASEAN, four potential areas for further collaboration and integration were identified at the end of the 2014 workshop

1. System development for vaccine security

2. Human Resource Development (HRD)

3. ASEAN Price Policy for Vaccine (APPV) and pooled procurement

4. Communication and coordination

Results of the second workshop

� At the end of 2015 follow-up workshop, a Communication and

Coordination Action Plan (CCAP) was successfully developed

under the shared vision of “A Healthy ASEAN Community

through Access of Assured Quality Vaccines”

� The CCAP is considered as an initial step to jump start of

AVSSR implementation

� Its aim is to increase understanding, perception and

awareness on regional initiatives on AVSSR among national

and international development partners, including gain

support and access of target population to quality vaccines

for better health outcomes and well-being

4 main issues needed for further collaboration for the AVSSR

ASEAN Price Policy for Vaccine (APPV) and

Pooled Procurement

Objectives: to establish a reference price for vaccines, which will help reduce vaccine purchasing price, thus making vaccines accessible by ensuring continuation of supply for both normal and emergency situations through:

1. In short-term: exchange information on purchased vaccine price and annual demands of each ASEAN country for further development of APPV plan (WHO V3P initiative is currently available)

2. In long-term: ASEAN should collaborate in creating a SOP for ASEAN harmonization on vaccine procurement well known as “pooled procurement” within the region

Pooled Procurement and Strategic Regional Vaccine Stockpile: An Early Stage of Regional Policy Formation

� Pooled procurement is an effective tool in purchasing vaccines with lower price and high power of negotiation, by combining several buyers into a single entity that purchases vaccines on behalf of those buyers

1. Routine vaccines with high risk of stock out or shortage2. New vaccines with high budget impacts

� Strategic Regional Vaccine Stockpile 3. Emergency vaccines for pandemic such as Influenza

vaccine, antidotes or antitoxins (DAT, BAT)

In Thailand, national vaccine stockpile handling the public health emergency response (PHER) was currently established as a part of national strategic plan for vaccine stockpiling 2017-2021

Recommendations

In supporting regional policy of pooled procurement and strategic regional vaccine stockpile, following activities should be advocated

1. AVSSR needs to be included as a priority health development agenda within the ASEAN post-2015 official framework

2. The sustainable and uninterrupted collaboration in supportingregional VSSR needs to be enhanced

3. ASEAN countries need to work more in close partnership withconcerned international bodies and networks

4. Official ASEAN working mechanisms for further collaboration need to be established in the long run

Achievements of ASEAN Health Policy

� The concept and work plan of AVSSR has been

integrated successfully in the Health Priority Issue 17: Pharmaceutical Development, under the Health Cluster 3 Work Plan for 2016-2020 during the 1st meeting of the Health Cluster 3: Strengthening Health Systems and Access to Care (in Philippines 2016)

� Thailand, NVI has been assigned to be a lead country for this specific issue, with other two countries i.e. Indonesia and Philippines taken their roles as co-lead country.

Ongoing Works and Ways Forward

Important activities proposed in the Health Cluster 3 Work Plan

for 2016-2020 are as follows

1. ASEAN Vaccine Baseline Survey (AVBS) [undergoing operation in 2017]

2. ASEAN Declaration on Vaccine Security and Self-Reliance (plans to be officially endorsed by ASEAN Summit in 2018)

3. Development of regional strategic and action plans for the AVSSR which include regional policy of pooled procurement and strategic regional vaccine stockpile as part of all integral activities (plans for operationalization in 2018 after official endorsement of ASEAN Declaration)

“ASEAN RVSSR”

Thank you for your kind attention