UNITAID seeks proposals on ways to increase access to TB, HIV and malaria medicines

Theo Smart
Published: 16 May 2012

Funding opportunity for proposals to increase access to TB, HIV and malaria medicines, treatment and diagnostics in low and middle-income countries — deadline 22 May 2012

 If you are a researcher, NGO, Product Development Partnership, or other group or individual working in TB, HIV or malaria, the deadline is quickly approaching to submit a letter of intent (LOI) explaining your project proposal to UNITAID.

UNITAID is an international facility that seeks to provide diagnostics and pharmaceuticals for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to developing countries at deeply reduced prices through market interventions. Launched on the government of France’s initiative, it is funded by innovative financing mechanisms — more than half the money comes from an airline ticket levy in participating countries (Cameroon, Chile, Congo, France, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger and the Republic of Korea), and voluntary donations from airline travellers in other countries.

UNITAID’s key achievements have been to map the markets for antiretroviral products, project future demand and to work with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative to help manufacturers re-engineer processes and supply chains to bring down prices and project future volumes.

ACTION (ACTION to Control TB Internationally) has put out an alert to TB researchers in particular. ACTION states that to date, UNITAID has granted $240 million towards TB projects, and that UNITAID is particularly interested in TB proposals that seek to:

  • Improve diagnostic tools for MDR-TB, primarily through price reductions of GeneXpert, and developing linkages between new diagnostics and medicines markets.

  • Develop quality assurance and delivery mechanisms for first line anti-TB drugs to improve standards and regulation, get rid of poor quality drugs, and prevent country supply shortages.

  • Increase affordability and accessibility to second-line anti-TB drugs by reinforcing supply chain management and increasing diagnostics to drive demand.

  • Address pediatric TB pharmaceuticals and diagnostics through developing a fixed-dose combination (FDC) drug for children, new diagnostics for pediatric TB, and improving the supply of currently available medication.

It is particularly encouraging that UNITAID is looking at how it can influence the development of a robust market for second-line TB drugs and for the diagnostics that will support the development of that market.(The most recent edition of HATIP looks in detail at one element of that process, the introduction of the GeneXpert platform and the Xpert MTB/RIF test, which can both detect TB and rifampicin resistance).

Indeed UNITAID held a meeting at the World Health Assembly in Geneva this week in order to get people talking about how the fragmented but very large markets for second-line TB drugs in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) can be brought together in order to deliver the same kinds of win-win developments for patients and industry that have already occurred in HIV.

How can you access these funds?

Please consult the Guidelines, Application Form, and background invitation below

Act fast: the Deadline: May 22, 2012

If the LOI is accepted, UNITAID will contact applicants and ask them to submit a full proposal in September 2012. Proposals will go through technical review in committee and then to the UNITAID board for final review and a vote to approve funding.

Contact: For further information, contact UNITAID via email at the following address: loiunitaid@who.int

Looking for more information?

Visit the HATIP Archive.

This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.