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Rogers/5SenatorEmreS.W._____

ABILL
TocreateafundtostopthespreadofMalariabytaxing1centfromeveryprescriptionsoldfromallpharmaceuticals.

BeitenactedbytheSenateandHouseofRepresentativesoftheUnitedStatesofAmericainCongressassembled,

SECTION1.SHORTTITLE

ThisactmaybecitedastheMalariaTaxActof2015.

SECTION2.FINDINGS

Congressherebyfindsanddeclaresthat,
1)MalariawaseliminatedfromtheU.S.inthe1950s
2)Twoimportantcurrentlyusedantimalarialdrugsarederivedfromplantswhosemedicinalvalueshadbeennoted
forcenturies:artemisininfromtheQinghaosuplant(Artemisiaannua,China,4thcentury)andquininefromthe
cinchonatree(Cinchonaspp.,SouthAmerica,17thcentury).
3)Noantimalarialdrugis100%protectiveandmustbecombinedwiththeuseofpersonalprotectivemeasures,(i.e.,
insectrepellent,longsleeves,longpants,sleepinginamosquitofreesettingorusinganinsecticidetreatedbednet).
4)MalariaiscausedbyaparasitecalledPlasmodium.
5)TheaveragecostperFICincreasesalmostlinearlyfromUS4.2dollarsperFICatavaccinepriceofUS1dollars
perdosetoUS31.2dollarsatvaccinepriceofUS10dollarsperdose.
6)Themarginalcostisapproximately5%lessthantheaveragecost.
7)IncommunitywidetrialsinseveralAfricansettings,InsecticideTreatedBedNetshavebeenshowntoreducethe
deathofchildrenunder5yearsfromallcausesbyabout20%.
8)MalariaiscausedbyaparasitethatispassedfromonehumantoanotherbythebiteofinfectedAnopheles
mosquitoes.
9)

In2013,anestimated437000Africanchildrendiedbeforetheirfifthbirthdayduetomalaria.Globally,the
diseasecausedanestimated453000underfivedeathsin2013.
10)Between2000and2013,anexpansionofmalariainterventionshelpedtoreducemalariaincidenceby30%
globally,andby34%inAfrica.
11)Duringthesameperiod,malariamortalityratesdecreasedbyanestimated47%worldwideandby54%inAfrica.
12)Intheunderfiveagegroup,mortalityrateshavedeclinedby53%globally,andby58%inAfrica.
13)Unlikethehumanimmunodeficiencyvirus(HIV)andtheacquiredimmunedeficiencysyndrome(AIDS)or
tuberculosis,infectionwiththemalariaparasiteisalmostalwaysuniversalinapopulation,andthepresenceofthe
pathogenisnotasufficientmarkerofdisease.
14)Thesedeathsareconcentratedamongthosewithpoorlydevelopedimmunity,and,generally,youngchildrenbear
thebruntofthemortalityburden.
15)However,becauseofthechangesinwomensimmunesystemsduringpregnancyandthepresenceofanew
organ(theplacenta)withnewplacesforparasitestobind,pregnantwomenlosesomeoftheirimmunitytomalaria
infection.

SECTION3.STATUTORYLANGUAGE
A)
Thisbillshalladdafeeof1centforeverypharmaceuticalsoldthatshallbedonatedbypharmacies.Themoney
shallgototheMTF(MalariaTaxFund),createdbythisbill,whichwillusethemoneytohelpprovideappropriate
suppliesandmedicinetopeoplewhoaresusceptibletoorinfectedwithmalaria.Suppliesshallinclude
insecticidetreatedbednets,insectrepellent,longsleevedclothing,longpantsetc.,andmedicineshallinclude
antimalarialdrugssuchasartemisininfromtheQinghaosuplantandquininefromtheCinchonatree.
B)
TheMTFistheadministratingagencyandtheDepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesoftheFederal
GovernmentistheenforcingagencyoftheU.S.federalgovernment.
C)
Thefeeshalldoubleifthefeeisnotpaid.Ifthefeeisnotpaidduringathreemonthperiod,theDepartmentof
HealthandHumanServicesfromtheU.S.federalgovernmentwillsuspendlicensefromthepharmacy.Thisactshall
beenactedonJanuary1,2016

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