May 21, 2025: The “Recovering with Integrity – Fostering Preventive Transparency in the Health System” project in Argentina was completed earlier this year. This was PTF’s 4th project with Poder Ciudadano, Transparency International’s local affiliate in the country, aiming to increase the openness and accountability of Argentina’s national health system relating to the procurement of vaccines. It is also evocative of PTF’s experience and commitment to promoting accountability and transparency, notably through the monitoring of public procurement.
Activities included those relating to increasing vaccine information available to the public, and disseminating this information. This was done in part through a ‘Covid-19 Vaccine Observatory’, a visually clear and concise database with information about vaccine costs; it also included information about Freedom of Information requests relating to vaccine costs, and on litigation if this was not provided. One of these requests, and subsequent research found that “red flags” in the storage and distribution processes of mandatory vaccinations in Argentina led to 3,392,703,810.52 ARS in losses for the government (adjusted to inflation) or 2,981,312 USD.
One of these requests, and subsequent research found that “red flags” in the storage and distribution processes of mandatory vaccinations in Argentina led to 3,392,703,810.52 ARS in losses for the government (adjusted to inflation) or 2,981,312 USD.
An Accountability and Responsiveness measurement tool was subsequently developed with recommendations to improve accountability relating to vaccine procurement processes. The toolkit, developed in consultation with CSOs, academics, public officials, particularly in the provinces of Cordoba, Mendoza, Buenos Aires and Salta, was disseminated to relevant public health agencies in the country’s 24 provinces as well as at the national level.
More efforts will need to be undertaken to ensure the effective use of this important toolkit, and PTF hopes to continue our successful collaboration with Poder Ciudadano in 2025 and beyond.
More information on this PTF-funded project can be found at the following link.
The final report is accessible here.
