Trends in availability and prices of subsidized ACT over the first year of the AMFm: evidence from remote regions of Tanzania
Abstract Background The Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm) is a pilot supra-national subsidy program that aims to increase access and affordability of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) in public sector clinics and private retail shops. It is unclear to what extent the AMFm model wi...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:bc79499ac91044648e5c32042fc69ae6 2023-05-15T15:18:20+02:00 Trends in availability and prices of subsidized ACT over the first year of the AMFm: evidence from remote regions of Tanzania Yadav Prashant Cohen Jessica L Alphs Sarah Arkedis Jean Larson Peter S Massaga Julius Sabot Oliver 2012-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-299 https://doaj.org/article/bc79499ac91044648e5c32042fc69ae6 EN eng BMC http://www.malariajournal.com/content/11/1/299 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-11-299 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/bc79499ac91044648e5c32042fc69ae6 Malaria Journal, Vol 11, Iss 1, p 299 (2012) Malaria treatment ACT Anti-malarial subsidy AMFm Remote availability Drug shops Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 article 2012 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-299 2022-12-31T08:36:32Z Abstract Background The Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm) is a pilot supra-national subsidy program that aims to increase access and affordability of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) in public sector clinics and private retail shops. It is unclear to what extent the AMFm model will translate into wide scale availability and price reductions in ACT, particularly for rural, remote areas where disparities in access to medicines often exist. This study is the first to rigorously examine the availability and price of subsidized ACT during the first year of the AMFm, measured through retail audits in remote regions of Tanzania. Methods Periodic retail audits of Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets (ADDOs) were conducted in two remote regions of Tanzania (Mtwara and Rukwa). Temporal and spatial variation in ACT availability and pricing were explored. A composite measure of ADDO remoteness, using variables, such as distance to suppliers and towns, altitude and population density, was used to explore whether ACT availability and price vary systematically with remoteness. Results Between February 2011 and January 2012, the fraction of ADDOs stocking AMFm-ACT increased from 25% to 88% in Mtwara and from 3% to 62% in Rukwa. Availability was widespread, though diffusion throughout the region was achieved more quickly in Mtwara. No significant relationship was found between ACT availability and remoteness. Adult doses of AMFm-ACT were much more widely available than any other age/weight band. Average prices fell from 1529 TZS (1.03 USD) to 1272 TZS (0.81 USD) over the study period, with prices in Rukwa higher than Mtwara. The government recommended retail price for AMFm- ACT is 1,000 TZS ($0.64 USD). The median retail ACT price in the final round of data collection was 1,000 TZS. Conclusions The AMFm led to large increases in availability of low priced ACT in Tanzania, with no significant variation in availability based on remoteness. Availability did remain lower and prices remained higher in Rukwa, which ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Malaria Journal 11 1 299 |
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ftdoajarticles |
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English |
topic |
Malaria treatment ACT Anti-malarial subsidy AMFm Remote availability Drug shops Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
spellingShingle |
Malaria treatment ACT Anti-malarial subsidy AMFm Remote availability Drug shops Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Yadav Prashant Cohen Jessica L Alphs Sarah Arkedis Jean Larson Peter S Massaga Julius Sabot Oliver Trends in availability and prices of subsidized ACT over the first year of the AMFm: evidence from remote regions of Tanzania |
topic_facet |
Malaria treatment ACT Anti-malarial subsidy AMFm Remote availability Drug shops Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
description |
Abstract Background The Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm) is a pilot supra-national subsidy program that aims to increase access and affordability of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) in public sector clinics and private retail shops. It is unclear to what extent the AMFm model will translate into wide scale availability and price reductions in ACT, particularly for rural, remote areas where disparities in access to medicines often exist. This study is the first to rigorously examine the availability and price of subsidized ACT during the first year of the AMFm, measured through retail audits in remote regions of Tanzania. Methods Periodic retail audits of Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets (ADDOs) were conducted in two remote regions of Tanzania (Mtwara and Rukwa). Temporal and spatial variation in ACT availability and pricing were explored. A composite measure of ADDO remoteness, using variables, such as distance to suppliers and towns, altitude and population density, was used to explore whether ACT availability and price vary systematically with remoteness. Results Between February 2011 and January 2012, the fraction of ADDOs stocking AMFm-ACT increased from 25% to 88% in Mtwara and from 3% to 62% in Rukwa. Availability was widespread, though diffusion throughout the region was achieved more quickly in Mtwara. No significant relationship was found between ACT availability and remoteness. Adult doses of AMFm-ACT were much more widely available than any other age/weight band. Average prices fell from 1529 TZS (1.03 USD) to 1272 TZS (0.81 USD) over the study period, with prices in Rukwa higher than Mtwara. The government recommended retail price for AMFm- ACT is 1,000 TZS ($0.64 USD). The median retail ACT price in the final round of data collection was 1,000 TZS. Conclusions The AMFm led to large increases in availability of low priced ACT in Tanzania, with no significant variation in availability based on remoteness. Availability did remain lower and prices remained higher in Rukwa, which ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Yadav Prashant Cohen Jessica L Alphs Sarah Arkedis Jean Larson Peter S Massaga Julius Sabot Oliver |
author_facet |
Yadav Prashant Cohen Jessica L Alphs Sarah Arkedis Jean Larson Peter S Massaga Julius Sabot Oliver |
author_sort |
Yadav Prashant |
title |
Trends in availability and prices of subsidized ACT over the first year of the AMFm: evidence from remote regions of Tanzania |
title_short |
Trends in availability and prices of subsidized ACT over the first year of the AMFm: evidence from remote regions of Tanzania |
title_full |
Trends in availability and prices of subsidized ACT over the first year of the AMFm: evidence from remote regions of Tanzania |
title_fullStr |
Trends in availability and prices of subsidized ACT over the first year of the AMFm: evidence from remote regions of Tanzania |
title_full_unstemmed |
Trends in availability and prices of subsidized ACT over the first year of the AMFm: evidence from remote regions of Tanzania |
title_sort |
trends in availability and prices of subsidized act over the first year of the amfm: evidence from remote regions of tanzania |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-299 https://doaj.org/article/bc79499ac91044648e5c32042fc69ae6 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Malaria Journal, Vol 11, Iss 1, p 299 (2012) |
op_relation |
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/11/1/299 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-11-299 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/bc79499ac91044648e5c32042fc69ae6 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-299 |
container_title |
Malaria Journal |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
299 |
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1766348529406574592 |