The “Programme d'Appui au Développement Sanitaire (PADS)” was a financing tool that aimed to improve healthcare in Burkina Faso. The programme, which was co-financed by a number of donors, supported the implementation of the Burkinabe health strategy (“Plan National de Développement Sanitaire” PNDS, 2001–2010, and PNDS II, 2011–2020). Its focus was on the provision of healthcare services via a decentralised healthcare system (strengthening of regional and district level with regard to equipment, capacity and administration) in order to improve the population’s access to basic healthcare services. As two of seven priorities, HIV/AIDS prevention/treatment and reproductive health made up a large part of the approach. A further explicitly named subject of the financing wereNGOs – who were selected and contracted as part of a public competition – working primarily in the field of disease prevention. The non-earmarked (FC) financing of PADS expired in 2015.