The mandate of the SPS Program is to build capacity within resource-limited countries to effectively manage pharmaceutical systems, successfully implement U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) priority services, and ultimately save lives and protect the public's health by improving access to and use of medicines of assured quality.

Poverty, lack of economic productivity and opportunity, and social and political upheaval all contribute to inadequate access to life-saving medicines in developing countries, and the burden falls mainly on susceptible members of society. Over the past few years, however, the international aid community has recognized and is addressing the need to address inequalities with unprecedented new funding, in large part directed to the purchase of essential medicines and health-related supplies. However, the health systems of many resource-limited countries lack infrastructure, management systems, information technology, and experienced staff.

SPS is dedicated to helping countries strengthen their existing pharmaceutical systems by customizing and implementing proven tools and approaches to achieve better medicines management and use.

The process will rely on current partnerships and the development of new partnerships to promote coordination of the many system components and the use of innovative approaches to build local capacity in an era of acute human resource shortages in health care. It is a process that will take time, and the real challenge is to identify, select, and implement the best sustainable solutions for each country’s situation.

SPS bases its practical goals for strengthening pharmaceutical systems on the need to develop capacity within partner countries and foster collaboration between countries and their institutions. In addition, the key to many achievements has been the broad-based support from all stakeholders built through a participatory approach to project design and implementation. Our successes have resulted in part from our focus on making the projects the property of the institutions involved.