# \[e-drug\] RBM reply to Experts' letter on draft malaria strategy **URL:** \ **Category:** e-drug\ **Created:** [December 8, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-rbm-reply-to-experts-letter-on-draft-malaria-strategy/18363 "2003-12-08T12:29:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andrea\_Bosman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecb155/32.png) [@Andrea\_Bosman](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/Andrea_Bosman)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-rbm-reply-to-experts-letter-on-draft-malaria-strategy/18363/1 "2003-12-08T12:29:49Z")
E-drug: RBM reply to Experts' letter on draft malaria strategy --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Colleagues, Thank you for your letter of 28 November 2003 in which you express your concern about the contents of the draft Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Strategic Orientations 2004-2008, issued for a global consultation at the request of the RBM Partnership Board. The consultation period ended last week. Henceforth, the Partnership Secretariat is now in the process of consolidating the feedback received from RBM partners, including yours, into a revised document. I appreciate and share your views on the importance of a balance between prevention and case management for malaria control, and on the need for timely access to efficacious drugs, particularly artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACTs). We all remain fully committed to the common objective of ensuring rapid access to ACTs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has not wavered from its official policy on malaria treatment and the use of ACTs. A WHO position note on this subject has been posted on the RBM web site (www.rbm.who.int) in order to ensure clarity on the course of action recommended by this lead RBM Partner. The RBM Partnership is supporting mechanisms led by WHO and other Partners to improve access to ACTs through a range of activities that include increasing the number of recognized manufacturers of ACTs through prequalification processes, and supporting drug policy change and implementation at country level. An expert consultation meeting on the financing and procurement of ACTs was held under the auspices of the RBM Partnership in September 2003. The key actions to promote access to high-quality and affordable ACTs in the near future outlined by this meeting have been adopted by the Partnership Board. One of the immediate follow-up activities to this meeting is the establishment of a coordinating mechanism that will reinforce our commitment to accelerating access to ACTs, rapid diagnostic tests and other antimalarial products. The effort taken by all of you to bring your shared concerns to our attention is very much welcomed. I particularly appreciate the importance you have placed on the need to re-affirm commitment to the evidence-based approaches that the RBM initiative has promoted during the past five years. Please rest assured that your expressed concerns will be communicated to the RBM Partnership Board and taken into full account in the revised Strategic Orientations.       Yours faithfully, Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traor� Acting Executive Secretary Roll Back Malaria Partnership -- To send a message to E-Drug, write to: e-drug@healthnet.org To subscribe or unsubscribe, write to: majordomo@healthnet.org in the body of the message type: subscribe e-drug OR unsubscribe e-drug To contact a person, send a message to: e-drug-help@healthnet.org Information and archives: [http://www.essentialdrugs.org/edrug](http://www.essentialdrugs.org/edrug)