Abstract

A concern about the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm) is that, even at subsidized prices, ACTs may be too expensive for “the poorest of the poor.” An additional end-user subsidy may be required to lower the economic barrier even more for wider financial access to ACTs. This paper reviews the policy options for a second stage subsidy for ACTs, based on experience of subsidies for health care, basic services, food, and other commodities. The range of approaches to targeted and untargeted subsidies, their pros, cons, and relative costs, are considered.