Advocates call for removal of regulatory barriers, which contributed to the ongoing national stock out of GeneXpert MTB/RIF cartridges.
In an open letter sent on 19 December 2018, advocates called on the Kenyan government to immediately address the prolonged national GeneXpert MTB/RIF cartridge stock out and to remove the regulatory barriers hindering the steady supply of health commodities.
“It is disturbing that the Government has introduced a regulatory requirement (pre-export verification of conformity – PVoC) of inspecting the manufacturing sites for WHO endorsed diagnostic tools; an unnecessary and costly step, which has partly led to the cartridge stock out, thereby creating a barrier to ensuring a steady supply of TB commodities.”
The signatories requested a response by 14 January 2019 and a joint meeting with the respective authorities on or before 21 January 2018 “to discuss the updates, next steps and mitigation strategies to avoid future national stock outs of health commodities.”
To download the open letter, click here.