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MEDIA ADVISORY: Launching the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria

16 April 2009

MEDIA ADVISORY 

On the occasion of the launch of the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria; the Government of Norway, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the International Drug Purchase Facility UNITAID, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the UK Department for International Development are pleased to invite you to a press conference on: 

Friday 17 April2.00 – 3.00 pm (CET) 

Government House

Auditorium 5

Akersgata 59

Oslo, Norway 

The press conference can be followed live internationally by dialing + 47 22 24 09 80 (with possibility for Q&A) The press conference can also be followed through a live webcast: http://media01.smartcom.no/Microsite/dss_01.aspx?eventid=4192 

 

 The Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm) will play an important role in global efforts to control malaria.  This new initiative will increase access to the most effective anti-malarial treatment, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) by reducing their price to an affordable level through price negotiations with the pharmaceutical sector and “co-payment” on behalf of buyers.  For patients who pay for treatment, this is expected to result in a reduction in the price of ACTs from US$6-10 per treatment to US$0.20-0.50.   By increasing access to effective ACTs, the AMFm will save lives and reduce the use of less-effective treatments to which malaria parasites are becoming increasingly resistant.  It will also reduce the use of artemisinin as a single treatment or monotherapy, thereby delaying the onset of resistance to that drug and preserving its effectiveness. 

WHO:             

Mr Jonas Støre                     

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway                      

Prof. Philippe Douste-Blazy

UN Under-Secretary General and Special Adviser on Innovative Financing for Development             

Chair of UNITAID

                      

Dr Jorge Bermudez                     

Executive Secretary of UNITAID  

                    

Prof. Michel Kazatchkine                     

Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria  

                                         

Prof. Awa Coll-Seck                     

Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership  

                    

Mr. Peter Colenso

Deputy Director and Head of Human Development UK Department for International Development (DFID)                      

A representative of the Government of the Netherlands                        

A briefing with technical experts from the main partner agencies involved in the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria, who will explain how the facility will work to reduce the prices of effective ant-malaria drugs, will be held through tele-conferencing on:  

Thursday 16 April4.00 pm (CET) 

To dial in: +41 (0) 44 580 64 03 (Switzerland toll)or+1 866 928 60 44 (USA toll free) 

 CONTACT:                                                                                                                                                                     

Andrew Hurst

Senior Communications Officer

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

+41 58 791 16 72 – andrew.hurst@theglobalfund.org 

Anders Rikter

Press and communications adviser

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway

+47 920 84 996 – anders.rikter@mfa.no 

Daniela Bagozzi Communication Adviser

UNITAID

+41 22 791 45 44 – bagozzid@who.int  

 

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