The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
UNOPS to support national medicine procurement in Mexico
A new agreement signed by UNOPS, the government of Mexico and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will improve transparency and value for money.
Project Updates:
Since 2020, UNOPS has supported the government of Mexico, through INSABI, to procure and deliver more than 800 million units of medicines, medical supplies and devices.
The delivery of medical items under this project was concluded in December 2022.
- This project is in the closure process. More information is available on the project website.
Signed in the presence of the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, national authorities and representatives of UNOPS and PAHO in Mexico, the agreement will see UNOPS help the government strengthen capacity in procuring goods and services by providing procurement support directly to the government, beginning in 2021.
“We are delighted to be able to support Mexico with improved services and fair public management," said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director, Grete Faremo.
We bring our expertise to challenges where maximizing transparency, effectiveness and efficiency are critical – this will be a game changer for quality healthcare and value-for-money for the people of Mexico.”
“As a UN institution, UNOPS offers the possibility to obtain good quality medicines at low prices and without corruption. We are going to solve the problem of medicine shortage,” said President Andrés Manuel López Obrador during the signing event.
As part of the agreement, UNOPS will directly purchase essential medicines and vital drugs on behalf of Mexican health institutions which will then be distributed by national authorities.
UNOPS will draw on expertise in public procurement and a successful track record in the procurement of medicines in Latin America and globally. UNOPS Regional Observatory for Medicine Prices allows for the comparison of medicine prices from official sources in 21 countries, in order to achieve the best prices and best use of public finances.
In 2019, UNOPS and Mexico signed a framework agreement to improve the management of public procurement and infrastructure projects in the country.
Since then, UNOPS has been advising the government on improving public management which can generate cost savings, offering solutions to address corruption, and to increase competitiveness and effectiveness. This has included supervision and tracking of national and federal contracts, projects, proposals and tenders, and assisting with economic proposals.
