PACE is a significant contributor to MoH efforts in malaria prevention and control by maintaining active membership in various malaria Technical Working Groups including the national task force on Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACTs). In 2011, PACE as a lead agency, together with its partners, Malaria Consortium (MC), Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU) and Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG) formed a strategic partnership called Uganda Malaria Communication Partnership (UMCP) to implement the Affordable Medicines Facility – malaria (AMFm) pilot, a programme that ensures that all Ugandans have continuous access to high quality and affordable malaria treatment and to ensure sick people get ACTs within 24 hours of the onset of fever/symptoms. This will ultimately reduce morbidity and mortality for children under five years of age.

PACE promotes the Ministry of Health (MOH) malaria treatment policy of Artemisinin – based Combination Therapy (ACTm) as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria. An ACTm is a combination therapy that contains an Artemesinin derivative and another antimalarial drug. By using two drugs instead of one, the malaria parasites are more likely to be destroyed and the patient recovers fully.

ACTm are available, free of charge, through public and faith-based health facilities. However, the switch to ACTm has created new challenges for access. Although ACTm are available through pharmacies and drug shops, their price is very high and beyond the reach of the ordinary people. As a result, the Government of Uganda working with the Global Fund to resolve this challenge by implementing the Affordable Medicines Facility – malaria (AMFm) pilot, a programme that makes available to every person with malaria, ACTm at very affordable prices.

The goal of this program is to ensure that all Ugandans have continuous access to high quality and affordable ACTm and to ensure sick people get these ACTm within 24 hours of the onset of fever/symptoms. To achieve this, the Global Fund has negotiated with manufactures of these medicines and reduced the price of these high-quality ACTm.