Amsterdam, 2 November 2022 – Strengthened Local Capacity is one of our long-term goals. In our mission of bridging the gap in access to medicines, we foresee a strong rise of local partners in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the next decade, and IDA aims to support these organisations through knowledge sharing, and capacity building amongst others. These local partners include IDA's 30+ local agents and distributors around the world. We aim to support the strengthening of existing local health systems by building this agent and distributor network, and additionally, by identifying local manufacturers in our destination countries that comply with our quality standards to supply essential medicines and supplies.

Personal contact between our wholesale team and our agents and distributors is essential to building strong partnerships. Through regular visits to these partners in countries where we operate, we maintain an open and transparent relationship where both parties can express challenges and share experiences or ideas. IDA Foundation has a global network of agents and distributors who work with us and provide essential local presence. Our agents assist with sales, logistics, communication, and other key elements of the supply chain and delivery process. Our local distributors keep their own stock of different quality-assured IDA products, making them more accessible to for example smaller health clinics.

If you are interested in becoming a representative agent or local distributor for IDA Foundation, or if you want to come in contact with one of our existing agents or distributors, please contact Joop Helsloot. Read all about our local network on our Local Services page.

Find more stories about our agent and distributor network in these previous blog articles:

• Catching up with local health partners in Chad and Benin
• Visit to Southern Africa
• Building local presence
• Q&A with female agent and distributor for International Women's Day
• Building healthy futures in Cameroon
• Building healthy futures: A&Ds in the spotlight
• Ensuring access to essential health products in the Pacific region
• Visiting partners in Madagascar