Board Decisions

GF/B28/DP06

Approved by the Board on: 15 November 2012

Integration of the Lessons from the Affordable Medicines Facility - malaria

The Board refers to its decision (GF/B20/DP24) to review the findings of the Independent Evaluation of the Affordable Medicines Facility - malaria (AMFm) Phase 1 and make a recommendation on whether to "expand, accelerate, modify, terminate or suspend the AMFm business line" in pilot countries.

The Board:

1. notes the findings of the Independent Evaluation ("IE"), as detailed in the Strategy, Investment and Impact Committee ("SIIC") Report to the Board (GF/B28/04), on the effectiveness of the AMFm in the eight pilot programs and, in particular, notes the results regarding the "upstream" success parameters recommended in 2010 by the Technical Evaluation Reference Group ("TERG").
   
   
2. recognizes that the successes of the AMFm are due to the co-payment system, consisting of price negotiations with manufacturers and direct co-payments from the Global Fund to manufacturers on behalf of approved first-line buyers, and the use of supporting interventions.
   
    
3. notes that the results of the IE and the TERG's interpretation of those findings indicate there is sufficient evidence to approve a modified approach to support countries in achieving the Roll Back Malaria targets of universal coverage of malaria treatment if coupled with efforts to improve access to diagnostic testing.
   
   
4. recognizes the importance of ensuring access to affordable diagnostic testing and treatment for malaria and the role of the private sector in delivering this access.
   
   
5. notes the role of the Global Fund in helping to ensure sustainable affordable pricing for health commodities through innovative strategies and initiatives, including through engagement of the private sector.
   
   
6. thanks countries, partners, donors and manufacturers for their participation and support in AMFm.

The Board decides to modify the existing AMFm business line by integrating the lessons learned from the operations and resourcing of Phase 1 of the AMFm into Global Fund grant management and financial processes by:

1. requesting the Secretariat to establish and operationalize a co-payment system through which the Global Fund will make direct payments to manufacturers on behalf of in-country buyers and at negotiated prices for countries which request the use of approved grant funds for a private sector subsidy to achieve their malaria case management targets and utilize supporting interventions; and
   
   
2. Acknowledging the need for an assessment by technical partners of the feasibility to include diagnostic testing into the co-payment system, which would inform the operationalization of the co-payment system.

2013 Transition by AMFm Pilot Countries to Full Integration:

The Board:

1. notes that the integration of a co-payment system into Global Fund grant management and financial processes will mean that, following a responsible Transition, co-payments for anti-malarial drugs will no longer be available through a separate funding mechanism hosted by the Global Fund.
   
   
2. decides that, during the Transition in 2013 to operationalizing the integration of a co-payment system, the pilot countries will have a defined funding allocation to support private sector co-payments, subject to availability of dedicated resources for such payments, and that each country will determine the parameters, such as the use of demand levers, under which that funding is utilized.
   
   
3. requests the Secretariat to report to the FOPC and SIIC prior to the end of 2012 on the outcome of resource mobilization efforts undertaken to finance the co-payments for the Transition.
   
   
4. authorizes the Secretariat to deploy remaining resources from malaria grants in Phase 1 for supporting interventions, which is separate from co-payment funds.