In Latin America and the Caribbean, RPM Plus focuses on helping local partners implement regulatory, managerial, and behavioral interventions to improve the use of antimicrobial medicines employed to treat infectious diseases, specifically two of the most prevalent—malaria and tuberculosis (TB). In collaboration with USAID's Latin America and the Caribbean Bureau, other U.S. Government departments, the Pan American Health Organization, and various organizations working in Cooperative Agreements with USAID, RPM Plus works to achieve the following regional objectives—
- Enhance capacity of local specialists to develop evidence-based strategies to contain antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including multi-drug resistance TB (MDR-TB) through the South American Infectious Disease Initiative (SAIDI).
- Strengthen national and regional pharmaceutical management of antimalarial medicines and prevention of drug resistance through the Amazon Malaria Initiative (AMI).
- Improve pharmaceutical management of national TB control programs by providing assistance on the expansion of DOTS, Global Fund projects, and prevention of MDR-TB.
- Support the Revolving Fund for Strategic Public Health Supplies (Strategic Fund) established by the Pan-American Health Organization to help Latin American and Caribbean countries procure good quality medicines at low prices.
