Making artemisinin-based combination therapies widely available in Burundi and Liberia.

Challenges

The termination of two Global Fund grants in 2007 without a funded transition plan in place threatened to cause ACTs stock-outs in health facilities in Burundi and Liberia.

Solutions

Between March and December 2007, UNICEF delivered a total of 1,401,828 ACT treatments to the two countries where the project was implemented: 678,875 treatment courses to Liberia and 722,953 treatment courses to Burundi.

Impact achieved

Unitaid’s support ensured that both countries’ needs for vital medicines were met while they waited for fresh funding for their malaria programmes.

Unitaid’s investment prevented stock-outs of artemisinin-based combination therapies and scaled up their use, resulting in fewer people dying from malaria.