The Urgent Need for Transparent and Accountable Procurement of Medicine and Medical Supplies in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic
Tóm tắt
The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed unprecedented and complex public policy issues. One that has emerged as a challenge for many countries globally is how to ensure the efficient and effective procurement of quality medical supplies. Existing corruption pressures on procurement—everything from undue influence to the outright bribery of public officials—has been amplified by the pandemic, and thus demands commensurate policy responses. We argue that transparency and accountability in procurement are essential to preventing the corruption risks that threaten the health and well-being of populations.
Từ khóa
Tài liệu tham khảo
Leo, G. Depleted national stockpile leaves Canada reliant on China for masks, gown and other supplies during pandemic. CBC News. 2020 [cited 2020 July 14]. Available from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/ppe-import-china-shortage-1.5552426.
Roberts, M. Coronavirus: Has the NHS got enough PPE? BBC News. 2020 [cited 2020 July 14]. Available from: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52254745.
Connolly, K. German doctors pose naked in protest at PPE shortages. The Guardian. 2020 [cited 2020 July 14]. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/27/german-doctors-pose-naked-in-protest-at-ppe-shortages.
Silverman R, Keller JM, Glassman A, Chalkidou K. Tackling the triple transition in global health procurement. Center for Global Development. 2019. Available from: https://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/tackling-triple-transition-global-health-procurement-brief.pdf.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Preventing corruption in public procurement. 2016. [cited 2020 July 14]. Available from: http://www.oecd.org/gov/ethics/Corruption-Public-Procurement-Brochure.pdf.
Transparency International. What is corruption? Transparency International. [cited 2020 July 24]. Available from: https://www.transparency.org/en/what-is-corruption.
Kohler JC, Dimancesco D. The risk of corruption in public pharmaceutical procurement: how anti-corruption, transparency and accountability measures may reduce this risk. Glob Health Action. 2020;13(sup1). https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2019.1694745.
Savedoff WD, Grépin K. Health sector corruption in Ethiopia. In: Plummer J, editor. Diagnosing corruption in Ethiopia: perceptions, realities, and the way forward for key sectors. World Bank: Washington (DC); 2012.
Ware JT, Moss S, Campos JE, Noone GP. Corruption in public procurement: a perennial challenge. In: Campos JE, Pradhan S, editors. The many faces of corruption: tracking vulnerabilities at the sector level. Washington (DC): World Bank; 2007.
Rose-Ackerman S, Tan Y. Corruption in the procurement of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment in China: the incentives facing multinationals, domestic firms and hospital officials. UCLA Pacific Basin Law J. 2014;32(1).
Savedoff WD. The impact of information and accountability on hospital procurement corruption in Argentina and Bolivia. U4 Brief. 2008;8. Available from: https://www.cmi.no/publications/3027-the-impact-of-information-and-accountability-on.
Neil Vigdor. It paid doctors kickbacks. Now, Novartis will pay a $678 million settlement. The New York Times. 2020 July 1 [accessed 2020 July 22]. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/business/Novartis-kickbacks-diabetes-heart-drugs.html.
Dexamethasone reduces death in hospitalised patients with severe respiratory complications of COVID-19. University of Oxford News and Events. 2020 June 16 [accessed 2020 July 24]. Available from: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-06-16-dexamethasone-reduces-death-hospitalised-patients-severe-respiratory-complications.
COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222 showed robust immune responses in all participants in Phase I/II trial. AstraZeneca. 2020 [accessed 2020 July 24]. Available from: https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2020/covid-19-vaccine-azd1222-showed-robust-immune-responses-in-all-participants-in-phase-i-ii-trial.html.
Cornish, L. Interactive: Who’s funding the COVID-19 response and what are the priorities? Devex. Updated 2020 July 12 [accessed 2020 July 14]. Available from: https://www.devex.com/news/interactive-who-s-funding-the-covid-19-response-and-what-are-the-priorities-96833?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWm1RNVpUTXpPVGN6TURJMSIsInQiOiJmb0JGNnZLVjVTR09yQmtiUWhQWkFhTko0Z3IzUXNVTW9hMXVrVDZwSWtKdytFdlV3YUlaTklibUU4bDdnRVU3MCt3cDQ0d2RnZWhNcmhkSEJXcDl0ZGFOQnhVbVcyYmZCakVBaWtYQ1owb1gxZ0RHVyt1cmtNRTZ5UmVxenlwKyJ9#disqus_thread.
Heymann, David L et al. Global health security: the wider lessons from the west African Ebola virus disease epidemic. 2015. Lancet, 385, 9980, 1884 – 1901. Available from: https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2815%2960858-3.
Stanley-Becker I, Butler D, Miroff N. In coronavirus scramble for N95 masks, Trump administration pays premium to third-party vendors. The Washington Post. 2020 [cited 2020 July 14]. Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/coronavirus-trump-masks-contracts-prices/2020/04/15/9c186276-7f20-11ea-8de7-9fdff6d5d83e_story.html.
Savage M, Mc Kie R. Reveal cost of 3.5m unusable Covid-19 tests, health chiefs told. The Guardian. 2020 [cited 2020 July 14]. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/11/reveal-cost-of-35m-unusable-covid-19-tests-health-chiefs-told?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR121OC9zqh4tXoxu6fQ597vs6ATVcX-9DzUinXKVDxhuPMBCYHRzvbxRhc.
Davies H, Goodley S. Revealed: NHS procurement official privately selling PPE amid Covid-19 outbreak. The Guardian. 2020 [cited 2020 July 14]. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/01/revealed-nhs-procurement-official-privately-selling-ppe.
Potter, H. Coronavírus: Sem licitação, mandetta paga 67% mais caro para comprar máscaras de empresa de Bolsonarista. The Intercept Brasil. 2020 [cited 2020 July 14]. Available from: https://theintercept.com/2020/03/22/mandetta-mascaras-bolsonarista-coronavirus/.
The Lancet. COVID-19 and risks to the supply and quality of tests, drugs, and vaccines. Updated 2020 June 17 [cited 2020 July 22]. Available from: https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/langlo/PIIS2214-109X(20)30136-4.pdf.
Bruckner, Till. The ignored pandemic: how corruption in healthcare service delivery threatens universal health coverage. Transparency International Health Initiative. 2019 [cited 2020 July 22]. Available from: http://ti-health.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IgnoredPandemic-WEB-v3.pdf.
Lord Carter of Coles. Operational productivity and performance in English NHS acute hospitals: unwarranted variations. 2016 [cited 2020 July 22]. An independent report for the Department of Health. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/499229/Operational_productivity_A.pdf.