Most diseases in developing countries could be treated with existing and well-known medicines. However, essential pharmaceuticals often are not available, not accessible, or not used appropriately. As bad or worse, use of substandard and counterfeit drugs wastes money, and may cause treatment failures and unnecessary deaths.

A first step in providing access to quality medicines for all is to establish a sound regulatory system that guarantees that only safe and effective drugs are produced, imported and marketed, and provides guidance for appropriate use of these drugs...