Subsidising artemisinin-based combination therapy in the private retail sector

This study examines ACT price subsidies for private retailers on ACT use, availability, price and market share

Abstract

Malaria causes ill health and death in Africa. Treating illness promptly with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is likely to cure people and avoid the disease progressing to more severe forms and death. In many countries, ACT use remains low. Part of the problem is that most people seek treatment from the retail sector where ACTs are expensive; this expense is a barrier to their use.

The Global Fund and other international organisations are subsidising the cost of ACTs for private retail providers to improve access to ACTs. The subsidy was initially organised through a stand-alone initiative, called the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm), but has since been integrated into the Global Fund core grant management and financial processes.

This study aims to assess the effect of programmes that include ACT price subsidies for private retailers on ACT use, availability, price and market share.

This research is supported by the Department for International Development’s Evidence Building and Synthesis Research Programme which is led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Citation

Newton Opiyo, Gavin Yamey, Paul Garner. Subsidising artemisinin-based combination therapy in the private retail sector. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2016 March 9; (3): 1–61. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009926.pub2

Subsidising artemisinin-based combination therapy in the private retail sector

Updates to this page

Published 1 March 2016