PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds A health cooperation success story

The Regional Revolving Funds have contributed to the prevention, control, and elimination of diseases across the Americas

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)’s Regional Revolving Funds (RRFs) are technical cooperation mechanisms that enable the Americas to equitably and timely access quality vaccines, essential medicines, and public health supplies.

When countries work together, they achieve benefits for all: through pooled procurement and planning their demand together, Member States obtain affordable prices, securing around 50% in savings for vaccines and public health supplies; benefiting around 180 million people in the past two years alone.

PAHO’s RRFs comprise the Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines and the Revolving Fund for Strategic Health Supplies.

The RRFs are key to the Americas’ impressive record of addressing public health demands by responding rapidly, implementing critical interventions for access to health technologies, and supporting disease elimination.

The Funds’ product portfolio includes medicines for communicable and noncommunicable diseases as well as neglected diseases; diagnostic kits and medical equipment such as rapid tests for HIV, malaria, leishmaniasis and more; vector control supplies such as insecticides and long-lasting insecticidal nets; and vaccines and related supplies such as safety boxes, immunoglobulins, and cold chain equipment.

The RRFs have also contributed to the introduction of new health supplies in countries, as well as the response to recent health emergencies such as COVID-19 and mpox. Moreover, the Funds are central to achieving the renewed Disease Elimination Initiative’s targets.

Everyone benefits: Member States, suppliers, and partners

Benefits for Member States are: facilitated processes – including timely demand planning, international bids, and international logistics; lower prices and better conditions through economies of scale; timely, reliable, and quality assured supply; an alignment with technical recommendations; and a line of credit, which allows countries to advance financing for 60 days with no interest to ensure the continuity of safe, effective, and quality healthcare supplies.

Incorporating digital technologies for greater transparency and efficiency

In alignment with PAHO’s digital transformation to improve decision-making at all levels of health care, in July 2023 the Funds launched the first digital demand planning module to replace Excel forms, provide real-time and easy access to information, and process integration including requests tracking from demand planning to receipt of shipment. Digital solutions will add transparency to procurement and delivery processes to countries, and facilitate monitoring for delivery delays and supply chain risks. Cloud-based tools also developed in 2023 included a risk-monitoring tool and a collaboration portal between PAHO and ministries of health that was piloted during the pandemic.