Global Fund Moves To Discontinue Project Subsidizing Malaria Drugs

A controversial pilot project reduced the cost of the most effective malaria drugs by giving manufacturers, such as Guilin Pharmaceutical in China, subsidies.

A controversial pilot project reduced the cost of the most effective malaria drugs by giving manufacturers, such as Guilin Pharmaceutical in China, subsidies.

One of the world's largest health funding agencies the Global Fund made two big decisions Thursday.

The fund appointed Dr. Mark Dybul as its new executive director. Dybul is best known for leading the international fight against HIV during the Bush's administration through the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS.

The fund's board also decided the fate of a controversial $225 million project that subsidizes the cost of the most effective malaria drugs in Africa.

The fund says it will discontinue financial support for the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria program, or AMFm, after a one-year transition period. Countries that wish to continue using subsidies will have to divert money from their regular malaria work to pay for them.

There has been a vigorous debate in the global health community about AMFm.

Advocates, such as Barry Bloom of Harvard School of Public Health, say the pilot project has reached its major goal. It's gotten the best malaria drugs to more people by reducing their cost through collective bargaining and payments to manufacturers.

Critics, on the other hand, claim that AMFm is wasteful. They say the program has put the drugs in the hands of the untrained people, such as shopkeepers and private pharmacists who've given the drugs to people even when they don't have malaria. One study even reported a gross overtreatment of malaria in many countries participating in the AMFm.

Here's how the Global Fund describes plans for the project:

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Global Fund Moves To Discontinue Project Subsidizing Malaria Drugs