Malaria continues to pose a serious threat in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in the Amazon Basin region (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela). The region began to experience a reemergence of malaria in the early 1990s, including the appearance of P. falciparum and resistance to inexpensive, first-line antimalarial medicines. In response, many countries changed their drug policies for malaria to include new, more efficacious combination therapies. Strengthening the core elements of pharmaceutical management—including the policy and legal framework, selection, procurement, distribution, use, and management—is essential to the effective implementation of these new policies.

Amazon Malaria Initiative
The Amazon Malaria Initiative (AMI) was launched in March 2002 to improve malaria control and treatment in the Amazon Basin region through evidence-based planning and the implementation of selected best practices in diagnosis and treatment, surveillance, and vector control. RPM Plus was invited to participate in AMI as the technical partner for pharmaceutical management issues, particularly related to the implementation of the new malaria treatment policies. The other partners in the initiative include the Infectious Disease Division of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Pharmacopeia’s Drug Quality and Information (USPDQI) program, national malaria control programs in the Amazon region, and the local USAID Missions.

Main Accomplishments
To date, RPM Plus has—

• Developed materials and conducted regional workshops on priority areas in pharmaceutical management with participating AMI countries:
• • Managing the Drug Supply for Malaria (October 2004)
    
  • Conducting Pharmaceutical Management for Malaria Assessments (July 2005)
  • Quantification (August 2006)
  • Supply Chain Management (September 2007)
• Conducted assessments of the pharmaceutical supply systems for malaria medicines in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname
• Provided country-specific technical assistance in treatment policy implementation, supply chain management, and quantification
• Developed and tested tools for assessing supply chain management capacities and monitoring the performance of the pharmaceutical supply system for malaria

For more information contact Edgar Barillas (ebarillas@msh.org).

Related Information
>> Latest RPM Plus Activities
>> More on RPM Plus work in Malaria