SADC has identified the need to develop and implement a Pharmaceutical Programme in line with the SADC Health Protocol and the SADC Health Policy. The SADC Pharmaceutical Business Plan (2007-2013) was approved by Ministers of Health from the SADC Member States in 2007.

The purpose of the programme is to enhance the capacities of Member States to effectively prevent and treat diseases that are of major concern to public health in the Region. The Programme mainly addresses issues that concern access to quality medicines in all Member States.

The SADC Pharmaceutical Business Plan has been developed within the context of global, continental and regional policy frameworks, protocols and commitments. Based on a SWOT analysis, the Plan identifies priority areas, objectives and major activities that will be implemented both at regional and national levels to improve access to quality and affordable essential medicines including African Traditional Medicines.

The overall goal of the SADC Pharmaceutical Business Plan is to ensure availability of essential medicines including African Traditional Medicines to reduce disease burden in the region. Its main objective is to improve sustainable availability and access to affordable, quality, safe, efficacious essential medicines including African Traditional Medicines. In order to achieve the overall goal and the main objective, the following strategies will be pursued:

  1. Harmonizing standard treatment guidelines and essential medicine lists;
  2. Rationalizing and maximizing the research and production capacity of local and regional pharmaceutical industry of generic essential medicines and African Traditional Medicines;
  3. Strengthening regulatory capacity, supply and distribution of basic pharmaceutical products through ensuring a fully functional regulatory authority with an adequate enforcement infrastructure;
  4. Promoting joint procurement of therapeutically beneficial medicines of acceptable safety, proven efficacy
    and quality to the people who need them most at affordable prices;
  5. Establishing a regional databank of traditional medicine, medicinal plants and procedures in order to ensure their protection in accordance with regimes and related intellectual property rights governing genetic resources, plant varieties and biotechnology;
  6. Developing and retaining competent human resources for the pharmaceutical programme;
  7. Developing mechanisms to respond to emergency pharmaceutical needs of the region;
  8. Facilitate the trade in pharmaceuticals within SADC.

In line with the SADC Protocol on Health, the Implementation Plan for the Protocol and the SADC Health Policy Framework, the SADC Pharmaceutical Business Plan will be coordinated and implemented through the approved SADC structure.

The Business Plan has spelt out clear roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders that will be involved in the implementation process. At the political level, the implementation of the Plan will be monitored through the established institutional framework.