Mapping the Nature, Drivers, Effects and Responses to Corruption in the Procurement of Pharmaceuticals in Anglophone Africa: A Scoping Review of Literature

Obinna Onwujekwe; Prince Agwu; Martin McKee; Aloysius Odii; Tochukwu Charles Orjiakor; Divine Ndubuisi Obodoechi; Chukwudi Nwokolo; Pallavi Roy; Eleanor Hutchinson; Dina Balabanova

doi:10.1177/09720634251370489

Mapping the Nature, Drivers, Effects and Responses to Corruption in the Procurement of Pharmaceuticals in Anglophone Africa: A Scoping Review of Literature

Obinna Onwujekwe, Prince Agwu (Lead / Corresponding author), Martin McKee, Aloysius Odii, Tochukwu Charles Orjiakor, Divine Ndubuisi Obodoechi, Chukwudi Nwokolo, Pallavi Roy, Eleanor Hutchinson, Dina Balabanova

Education and Society

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Expenditure on pharmaceuticals comprises a large share of health budgets. It involves many different actors, often working out of the public gaze, making the process ‘corruption-attractive’ and hard to monitor. Given the indispensable contributions of pharmaceuticals to health outcomes, it is essential that they are available at the right time and at the lowest prices. This requires the process to be as transparent and accountable as possible. But first, it is important to understand the system and the obtainable corruption concerns that impact it, as well as what works. This is the essence of a scoping review on the subject, focusing on Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We focused on the literature written in English from 2008 onward. After screening, 52 publications were reviewed, and the findings were synthesised and presented thematically. Findings from the reviewed literature demonstrate that corruption is widespread in pharmaceutical procurement, with consequences for revenue generation, utilisation and public confidence in health facilities, as well as the finances and health outcomes of service users. There is a need to devise a multi-dimensional approach to interventions, as most of the reviewed literature reckoned.

Original language	English
Article number	09720634251370489
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Health Management
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/09720634251370489
Publication status	Published - 9 Sept 2025

Keywords

Anticorruption
corruption
pharmaceuticals
sub-Saharan Africa

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous)
Health Policy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1177/09720634251370489

Author Accepted ManuscriptAccepted author manuscript, 496 KB

Cite this

Onwujekwe, O., Agwu, P., McKee, M., Odii, A., Orjiakor, T. C., Obodoechi, D. N., Nwokolo, C., Roy, P., Hutchinson, E., & Balabanova, D. (2025). Mapping the Nature, Drivers, Effects and Responses to Corruption in the Procurement of Pharmaceuticals in Anglophone Africa: A Scoping Review of Literature. Journal of Health Management, Article 09720634251370489. https://doi.org/10.1177/09720634251370489

@article{971b064bfab44bd5a099ed44a5990a7c,

title = "Mapping the Nature, Drivers, Effects and Responses to Corruption in the Procurement of Pharmaceuticals in Anglophone Africa: A Scoping Review of Literature",

abstract = "Expenditure on pharmaceuticals comprises a large share of health budgets. It involves many different actors, often working out of the public gaze, making the process {\textquoteleft}corruption-attractive{\textquoteright} and hard to monitor. Given the indispensable contributions of pharmaceuticals to health outcomes, it is essential that they are available at the right time and at the lowest prices. This requires the process to be as transparent and accountable as possible. But first, it is important to understand the system and the obtainable corruption concerns that impact it, as well as what works. This is the essence of a scoping review on the subject, focusing on Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We focused on the literature written in English from 2008 onward. After screening, 52 publications were reviewed, and the findings were synthesised and presented thematically. Findings from the reviewed literature demonstrate that corruption is widespread in pharmaceutical procurement, with consequences for revenue generation, utilisation and public confidence in health facilities, as well as the finances and health outcomes of service users. There is a need to devise a multi-dimensional approach to interventions, as most of the reviewed literature reckoned.",

keywords = "Anticorruption, corruption, pharmaceuticals, sub-Saharan Africa",

author = "Obinna Onwujekwe and Prince Agwu and Martin McKee and Aloysius Odii and Orjiakor, \{Tochukwu Charles\} and Obodoechi, \{Divine Ndubuisi\} and Chukwudi Nwokolo and Pallavi Roy and Eleanor Hutchinson and Dina Balabanova",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 SAGE Publications",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "9",

doi = "10.1177/09720634251370489",

language = "English",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mapping the Nature, Drivers, Effects and Responses to Corruption in the Procurement of Pharmaceuticals in Anglophone Africa

T2 - A Scoping Review of Literature

AU - Onwujekwe, Obinna

AU - Agwu, Prince

AU - McKee, Martin

AU - Odii, Aloysius

AU - Orjiakor, Tochukwu Charles

AU - Obodoechi, Divine Ndubuisi

AU - Nwokolo, Chukwudi

AU - Roy, Pallavi

AU - Hutchinson, Eleanor

AU - Balabanova, Dina

PY - 2025/9/9

Y1 - 2025/9/9

N2 - Expenditure on pharmaceuticals comprises a large share of health budgets. It involves many different actors, often working out of the public gaze, making the process ‘corruption-attractive’ and hard to monitor. Given the indispensable contributions of pharmaceuticals to health outcomes, it is essential that they are available at the right time and at the lowest prices. This requires the process to be as transparent and accountable as possible. But first, it is important to understand the system and the obtainable corruption concerns that impact it, as well as what works. This is the essence of a scoping review on the subject, focusing on Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We focused on the literature written in English from 2008 onward. After screening, 52 publications were reviewed, and the findings were synthesised and presented thematically. Findings from the reviewed literature demonstrate that corruption is widespread in pharmaceutical procurement, with consequences for revenue generation, utilisation and public confidence in health facilities, as well as the finances and health outcomes of service users. There is a need to devise a multi-dimensional approach to interventions, as most of the reviewed literature reckoned.

AB - Expenditure on pharmaceuticals comprises a large share of health budgets. It involves many different actors, often working out of the public gaze, making the process ‘corruption-attractive’ and hard to monitor. Given the indispensable contributions of pharmaceuticals to health outcomes, it is essential that they are available at the right time and at the lowest prices. This requires the process to be as transparent and accountable as possible. But first, it is important to understand the system and the obtainable corruption concerns that impact it, as well as what works. This is the essence of a scoping review on the subject, focusing on Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We focused on the literature written in English from 2008 onward. After screening, 52 publications were reviewed, and the findings were synthesised and presented thematically. Findings from the reviewed literature demonstrate that corruption is widespread in pharmaceutical procurement, with consequences for revenue generation, utilisation and public confidence in health facilities, as well as the finances and health outcomes of service users. There is a need to devise a multi-dimensional approach to interventions, as most of the reviewed literature reckoned.

KW - Anticorruption

KW - corruption

KW - pharmaceuticals

KW - sub-Saharan Africa

U2 - 10.1177/09720634251370489

DO - 10.1177/09720634251370489

M3 - Article

SN - 0972-0634

JO - Journal of Health Management

JF - Journal of Health Management

M1 - 09720634251370489

ER -

Mapping the Nature, Drivers, Effects and Responses to Corruption in the Procurement of Pharmaceuticals in Anglophone Africa: A Scoping Review of Literature

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this