Prior to the World Malaria Day activities coming up next week, the Global Fund, Roll Back Malaria Partnership, DFID, UNITAID and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the international partnership, known as AMFm (Affordable Medicines Facility -malaria) to put affordable life-saving malaria drugs within reach of millions of people, especially children, in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The new initiative will reduce the price of effective malaria drugs so they can drive older, ineffective drugs out of the market.

AMFm initially will be offered to 11 countries (Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda). After two years, providing it is successful, a decision will be taken on whether to expand it globally.