Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Vietnam

A NATIONAL CONSULTANT

NATIONAL CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF ARV BIDDING
AND PROCUREMENT FOR PROMOTION OF ARV AND TB DRUG SUPPLY

The global LHSS project helps low- and middle-income countries transition to sustainable, self-funded health finance systems that support high-performing overall health systems. The LHSS activity in Vietnam will work with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to advance greater local ownership of HIV and TB prevention and control. Led by Abt Associates, the four-year activity will support Vietnam in increasing its domestic financing for HIV and TB services in the context of declining donor funding, in using government resources more efficiently, and in assuming local ownership of HIV and TB prevention and control activities. Specific objectives are: (1) Support the GVN to strengthen its public financial management systems for public sector health and find greater efficiencies in social health insurance (SHI), (2) Increase and improve efficiency of domestic financing of HIV prevention and treatment services; (3) Strengthen the capacity of Vietnam’s supply chain management system; and (4) Integrate TB services into SHI.

LHSS Vietnam will mobilize a senior expert to explore challenges affecting the availability of ARVs in the local market, opportunities to facilitate market incentives for local production or imported ARVs and to execute effective regional & local procurement. The consultant will work closely with the Drug Administration of Viet Nam, Ministry of Health (MOH), Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) and Vietnam Social Security (VSS) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Objective

To inform relevant GNV agencies in enabling a competitive market for ARVs. The procurement of TB drugs when TB is transitioned into SHI will also benefit from this activity.

Key Responsibilities
1. Analyze the context, identify advantages and difficulties of domestically produced ARVs and potential opportunities for pharmaceutical companies in ARV production, import and distribution

• Review current policy documents on drug registration, import, procurement and bidding through SHI,
• Identify barriers faced by pharmaceutical companies in:
  
  • Penetrating a new medicine into Vietnam market: registration process, local production, import, distribution especially for low volume products.
  • Bidding SHI covered medicines, distributing medicines after being awarded.
• Collect/analyze recommendations and expectations from pharmaceutical companies on
  policy support and enabling environment for them to participate in ARV supply market

2. Explore current status, opportunities and challenges, provide recommendations for greater efficiency in regional and local procurements

• Define priorities in ARVs procurement especially for products imported due to inability of local production and limited suppliers.
• Identify and analyze structural, organizational and legal advantages, barriers in regional and international procurement of ARVs and TB
• Propose potential opportunities, recommendations for defining interventions to ensure the sustainability of procuring high quality medicines in regional and international markets.

3. Facilitate approval for more ARV marketing authorization

• Working with DAV to update on the number of ARV drugs which currently submitting application dossier and validation process status
• Proposing eligible solutions to facilitate marketing authorization approval for ARV drugs

Skills/Knowledge Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in medicine/ pharmacy-economics / health economics or relevant disciplines
• More than 10 years of relevant work experience in drug registration, importation, distribution of medicine
• Knowledge on current ARVs and TB supply in Viet Nam is an advantage
• Strong understanding and knowledge on regulations on pharmaceutical business
• Demonstrate ability to work effectively with government agencies including MOH/ DAV, Department of legal affair, Department of finance and planning, VAAC, VSS
• Good communication skill
• Basic knowledge of English.

Note: This position is based in Hanoi, Vietnam with travelling to the provinces if needed.

To apply, please send your application documents to the following email: [email protected]

Deadline: 28 December 2020

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Organization: Abt Associates
Location: Hanoi
Application deadline: 2020-12-28
Send application to: [email protected]