Experts and policy makers agreed on 19 January that a global subsidy for artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) should be put into place as soon as possible to make effective malaria treatments affordable and accessible to all. Hosted by the Dutch Government, the high level RBM Finance and Resources Working Group meeting included representatives from GFATM, PMI, WB, UNITAID, WHO, UNICEF and the Gates Foundation as well as endemic and donor countries, foundations, NGOs and the private sector. It was anticipated that the resources required to back such a subsidy ( around US$ 250m yearly from 2009 onwards) could be secured before 2008 and that potential risks, such as market distortion, could be mitigated by ongoing and effective monitoring.
The Making of the AMFm
After publication of the Institute of Medicine Report in 2004 "Saving Lives Buying Time", the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership decided to examine further the ACT subsidy concept. In September 2005 the RBM Finance and Resource Working Group asked the World Bank to develop a detailed proposal for the design and operation of such a global ACT subsidy. Further to an open tender process, the World Bank contracted Dalberg Global Development Advisors to conduct an initial study on the feasibility and possible financial mechanisms of a global ACT subsidy.
An Expert Workshop and Consultative Forum on a High-Level Buyer Subsidy for Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapies (ACTs) took place in Amsterdam on 18 and 19 January 2007. In Amsterdam the malaria community approved the principles of a global subsidy and suggested the creation of a RBM Task Force to steer the project.
Meeting on 7 February 2007 the RBM Executive Committee approved the creation of the Global ACT Subsidy Task force.
The RBM Global ACT Subsidy Task Force met in Washington on 13 March and in Geneva on 9 May 2007. The Task Force Members agreed to submit a set of objectives, design principles and next steps to the RBM Board for their approval.
At the 12th RBM Board Meeting 10-11 May the RBM Board endorsed the global ACT subsidy objectives and design principles described in the pre-read submitted to them by the Global ACT Subsidy Taskforce; expressed continued support for the introduction of a global subsidy for ACTs according to those principles and objectives; and approved the continuation of the RBM Global ACT Subsidy Taskforce as the only RBM mechanism to forge consensus on and to guide the finalization of a detailed technical proposal including governance and hosting arrangements, funding requirements, formal linkage with and costing of supporting activities, and any other outstanding operational issues. A detailed technical plan for launching the subsidy will be submitted to the 13th RBM Board meeting in November 2007.
For further information, please refer to the AMFm Taskforce Terms of Reference [PDF 170K].