Context

Access to affordable medications was a critical priority in the Government of Rwanda’s goal of achieving universal health care. The Rwanda Medical Supply Limited (RMS Ltd), established in August 2020, manages procurement, customs clearance, warehousing, and distribution of drugs and medical supplies for all public health facilities – providing access to effective, affordable, and safe medicines and health technologies.

Despite significant progress in a short time, RMS Ltd recognized the need to further enhance its internal and operational efficiency by identifying cost-effective and efficacious medical technologies. They decided to partner with Connexi and the U.S. Government Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project to conduct a commodity price analysis. This would equip RMS Ltd with additional data to understand market competitiveness and price reasonableness.

The Opportunity

To conduct a comprehensive commodity price analysis, Connexi reviewed two years of health commodity purchasing trends. The analysis focused on high-volume items, including essential medicines, pharmaceutical commodities, medical equipment, and other supplies. Leveraging market intelligence, Connexi meticulously collected, validated, and analyzed in-country pricing information from non-governmental and private sector organizations. Connexi’s methodology also included a thorough validation process, confirming that all suppliers adhered to World Health Organization GMP/ISO certification standards, thus guaranteeing that the data used was both reliable and relevant.

Results

Connexi’s rigorous analytical approach ensured the data’s accuracy and integrity, providing a robust foundation for competitive pricing analysis. This revealed that while RMS Ltd was procuring certain products at competitive prices, other commodities could be found at a more competitive price from alternate sources. This provided RMS Ltd with a clear path forward to maximize value-for-money to as it relates to increasing access to essential health commodities.