Republic of the Philippines

The Philippine archipelago consists of 7,107 mostly mountainous islands located in Southeastern Asia, east of Vietnam between the Philippine and South China Seas. The tropical climate, frequent typhoons, and long monsoon season subject the Filipino people to numerous water- and vector-borne diseases—dengue fever and malaria are prevalent in some areas. Laboring under turbulent politics and a declining economy that is heavily dependent on the monsoon season, over 40% of the population lives below the poverty level and many have limited access to medical care.

The cost of medicines in the Philippines remains higher by 40–70% than other countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Despite economic and healthcare challenges, the government has instituted progressive policies to ensure that affordable, high quality, safe and effective drugs and medicines are available, especially to the poor. Supporting the country's goal to promote rational drug use and strengthen the capability of the Bureau of Food and Drugs, the USAID Country Mission funds USP DQI activities to assist in improving the capacity of the Philippine drug quality system.

The University of Santo Thomas Center for Drug Research, Evaluation & Studies, Philippines, is one of three institutions selected to participate in the Asian Network of Excellence in Quality Assurance of Medicines (ANE/QAM), a USP DQI project supported by USAID. USP DQI staff will assist in strengthening the unique capabilities of the Center—and all Network institutions—through training and technical consultation, allowing them to share and expand their expertise in drug quality to serve the needs of all countries in the region.