In 1993, The Nippon Foundation (formerly the Sasakawa Foundation) established the Essential Drugs Project to assist countries where social or economic conditions have led to serious shortages of essential medical supplies, and where there is an urgent need to improve public health and hygiene. The ultimate aim of the Project is to help recipient countries achieve the goal of health for all by the year 2000. It is hoped that the provision of drugs included in the World Health Organization's Essential Drugs List contributes to each recipient country's ability to create the necessary environment for implementing capital reinvestment systems for essential drugs purchases, in line with the principles of the UNICEF Bamako Initiative.

　　In many countries, UNICEF uses its own resources to strengthen existing reinvestment systems under the Bamako Initiative. In countries where the Bamako Initiative is not in place, government, medical and other relevant organizations are urged to establish similar reinvestment systems according to the philosophy of The Nippon Foundation and the aims of this Project. The Foundation, itself, may assist in the management of reinvestment systems in cases where it is deemed necessary. To raise the Project's overall effectiveness, the Foundation appoints specialists to conduct studies evaluating impact in areas to which essential drugs are sent. These evaluations consider such criteria as the use to which the medicines are put, and the progress and operation of the reinvestment systems, themselves.

　　Because considerable funds are required, financing the Project takes up a very large portion of the Foundation's budget for overseas assistance. For each recipient country, the provision of essential drugs is, in principle, restricted to two consignments over a three-year period (subject to an interim assessment after the first year), while financial assistance toward the establishment of a reinvestment system for further purchases is limited to three consecutive years.

　　As of October 1995, the Foundation is promoting the Essential Drugs Project in the following countries in the hope that each will be able to establish a capital reinvestment system for the continued procurement of essential drugs:

　

In Asia

Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal Vietnam

　

In Central and South America

Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Peru