Unitaid and the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund strengthen ties to improve access to critical health tools

Tokyo and Geneva – The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) and Unitaid have signed a cooperation framework that aims to strengthen collaboration between the two agencies to increase cooperation between the Japanese research and development industry and the broader global health response. The partnership will focus on tackling complex challenges such as emerging drug resistance in tuberculosis (TB) and malaria and shifting patterns of vector-borne diseases due to climate change. 

By reinforcing links between the GHIT Fund’s research and development pipeline and Unitaid’s expertise in product introduction and access, the framework will further efforts to connect partners and ideas dealing with topics of health innovation, access, and scale. 

The agreement unites the two agencies at a broad strategic level and creates a channel for continuous collaboration, scanning the innovation pipeline for late-stage products that address the most pressing global health needs. This work will further efforts to ensure vulnerable and underserved populations have access to better health products and support progress towards universal health coverage. 

“GHIT looks forward to strengthening the strategic partnership with Unitaid as both organizations enter the next chapter of respective 5-year strategic plans. We strive for seamless transition of GHIT’s innovation pipelines to Unitaid’s expertise in new product introduction and access, bridging to equitable and sustainable access and delivery at scale. We will accelerate the R&D pipeline to maximize impact,” said Dr. Osamu Kunii, CEO of the GHIT Fund. 

“The recent COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the importance of global collaboration in solving global problems,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid. “Unitaid’s reinforced partnership with the GHIT Fund will leverage ties with Japanese innovators who are addressing some of today’s most pressing health challenges. This will improve equitable access to the benefits of new medicines, diagnostics and health technologies for people everywhere, in pursuit of a healthier, safer world for all.”  

About Unitaid

Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply, and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities including advanced HIV disease, cervical cancer, and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, co-leading with Wellcome the Therapeutics Pillar and participating in the Diagnostics Pillar. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

Media contact:

For more information and media requests:

Maggie Zander

Communications Officer

M: +41 79 593 17 74

zanderm@unitaid.who.int

Executive Board approves Unitaid’s urgent action to confront antimalarial drug resistance in high burden areas

Geneva – Meeting at its 41st session, Unitaid’s Executive Board discussed strategic direction for future investments, and voted to approve a new area for intervention to counteract growing resistance to antimalarial medicines in high burden areas.  

This new area for investment is one of many global health challenges Unitaid plans to tackle and it prepares to begin the first year of implementation of an ambitious new five-year strategy, which will focus on enabling access to critical medicines and tools across low- and middle-income countries.  

In support of these efforts, the Board voiced political support for long-term financial engagement from major donors, recognizing that reliable funding is critical to successfully delivering on its goals.  

The new strategy builds on a strong foundation developed over the past 15 years. Using its investments in HIV self-testing as an example, Unitaid showcased how it has rapidly expanded access to HIV testing across low- and middle-income countries working through strong multi-agency partnerships. Self-tests have not only transformed a key element of the HIV response, they have paved the way for simplified testing and greater autonomy to identify a range of other health conditions including COVID-19, hepatitis C, HPV and others.   

“With the new year on the horizon, Unitaid is moving into an exciting new chapter in our history. I am particularly proud to see the Board’s decision to respond to the scourge of antimalarial drug resistance in high burden countries, specifically, resistance threatening the efficacy of WHO-recommended medicines, as a key threat to our ability to deliver quality case management in the future,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid.  

“On the eve of 2023, the board is enthusiastic about deploying our new strategy. For Unitaid, innovation is access. Also, we are more eager than ever to actively pursue our mission to expand the reach of the best health products for those who need them most. The challenges are and will continue to be numerous and demanding but we are confident Unitaid has the strategy and the skills to be up to it” said Marisol Touraine, Chair of Unitaid’s Executive Board.

Media contact:

For more information and media requests:

Maggie Zander

Communications officer

M: +41 79 593 17 74

zanderm@unitaid.who.int

France reconfirms commitment to Unitaid during the Global Fund’s 7th Replenishment Conference  

Unitaid warmly welcomes France’s commitment of €255 million from 2023 to 2025 to support the rapid introduction of health innovations, announced at a high-level pledging event for the Global Fund held on 21 September. The commitment to Unitaid complements France’s €1.6 billion investment made to the Global Fund during the same event.  

Fully funding the Global Fund is critical to getting the world back on track to defeat HIV, TB and malaria, end health inequity and protect humanity from pandemics. 

“This contribution to Unitaid will allow us to strengthen our response to the three diseases and save nearly US$6 billion over the next two cycles. It is a crucial tool that has already reduced the price of malaria drugs by seventy percent. This new commitment is inseparable from the commitment to the Global Fund,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, reconfirming his country’s dedication to a strong and coordinated global health response to tackle the most pressing health challenges facing the world today. 

This latest funding is part of a total US$2.2 billion investment from France since Unitaid’s creation in 2006. It will support implementation of Unitaid’s newly adopted Strategy for 2023-2027, which focuses on three key areas of work: continuing the fight against HIV, TB, and malaria; improving health for women and children; and building more resilient health systems.  

Unitaid works to unlock access barriers that could otherwise limit the impact of innovative health products and strategies. This lays a strong foundation which the Global Fund builds upon to implement solutions on a massive scale. France’s investment in both organizations recognizes this important complementarity between the two agencies, with its investment in Unitaid serving to amplify the impact achieved through the Global Fund.  

“With this new funding, France has reiterated its steadfast commitment to ensuring high-quality health solutions can benefit people everywhere. Unitaid sincerely hopes that France will serve as an example to other donors supporting the Global Fund, understanding that an investment in both organizations will help supercharge the response as we endeavor to regain ground lost during the pandemic,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid.  

The 7th Replenishment Conference brought in just over US$14 billion in funding – leaving a nearly US$4 billion gap in needed funds. Unitaid applauds the donors who have committed support and urgently calls on others to step up in support of global health.  

Media contact:

For more information and media requests:

Maggie Zander

Communications officer

M: +41 79 593 17 74

zanderm@unitaid.who.int

Unitaid landscape report identifies new technologies and innovative delivery strategies that hold promise for reducing vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and Chagas

Geneva, Switzerland – 4 August 2022. A new report examining the landscape of tools and interventions for preventing mother-to-child transmission, also known as vertical transmission, of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and Chagas, identifies several actionable opportunities to accelerate progress towards global elimination goals.

The report analyzes current challenges in eliminating this important route of transmission and outlines a number of new, emerging or underutilized products and interventions which could help expand access and overcome the public health and market challenges identified.

In addition, several service delivery innovations have the potential to facilitate more rapid, consistent, and equitable access to existing tools and strategies.

Expanding access to these innovative approaches and products as well as addressing product development gaps is critical to achieving the World Health Organization’s ‘Triple Elimination’ agenda, which seeks to encourage countries to pursue an integrated and coordinated approach to eliminating vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and in countries where it is endemic, Chagas disease.

 

About Unitaid

Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply, and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities including advanced HIV disease, cervical cancer, and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, co-leading with Wellcome the Therapeutics Pillar and participating in the Diagnostics Pillar. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

Media contacts:

Unitaid

Maggie Zander
Communications officer
M: +41 79 593 17 74
zanderm@unitaid.who.int

Unitaid and the Government of Kenya strengthen collaborative partnership to advance global health goals 

Nairobi/Geneva – Global health agency Unitaid and the Government of Kenya are launching a newly reinforced cooperation, with a memorandum of understanding between the two parties signed in Nairobi.

Over its decade and a half history, Unitaid has worked closely with Kenyan partners to enable affordable, equitable, and rapid access to game-changing health innovations for those who need them. These include early infant HIV diagnostics, best-in-class antiretroviral drugs for adults and children with HIV, child-friendly tuberculosis (TB) medicines, cutting-edge screen-and-treat solutions for cervical cancer, indoor sprays to curb malaria, and access to COVID-19 tests and medical oxygen, among many others.

The agreement will further improve alignment between Unitaid investments and Kenyan health priorities, enable early access to innovations, and strengthen capacity of Kenyan health services, systems, research institutions and manufacturers.

“Unitaid’s collaboration with Kenya dates from its very beginnings 15 years ago. Nearly 80% of Unitaid’s US$1.5 billion currently invested supports work on the African continent. Kenya is a close partner in these efforts – both as one of the countries where the greatest number of Unitaid projects are running, and as one of the quickest countries to adopt and scale up critical health innovations,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid. “This partnership will further advance our shared goals to improve health in Kenya and beyond.”

“Advances in health innovations hold game-changing potential when implemented widely and equitably, but ensuring products reach the last mile is far from guaranteed. This is why our partnership with Unitaid is so valuable: together we will design the most impactful solutions so no one is left behind,” “said Sen. Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary for Health of the Republic of Kenya.

Joint efforts will focus on advancing sustainable approaches to reduce the burdens of HIV, TB, malaria, cervical cancer, hepatitis and COVID-19, improve the health of women and children, increase regional and domestic manufacturing of essential health products and strengthen pandemic preparedness and response efforts.

Media contact:

For more information and media requests:

Maggie Zander

Communications officer

M: +41 79 593 17 74

zanderm@unitaid.who.int

Unitaid adopts an ambitious new five-year strategy at the 40th Executive Board meeting

Geneva – Today, at its 40th meeting, Unitaid’s Executive Board adopted a new strategy for 2023-2027. Through the new strategy, the organisation will continue to champion equitable access to health innovation. With the introduction of at least 30 game-changing new health products by 2030, Unitaid will accelerate the global response to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, and improve the health of women and children.

The 2023-2027 Strategy builds on Unitaid’s past successes and affirms its unique place in global health, leveraging its distinct comparative advantage – as a pathfinder, investor and influencer – and will maximize the impact of its interventions to save time, money and lives.

The organization will continue its drive to accelerate the introduction and adoption of key health products with a goal of creating sustainable, equitable access to life-saving diagnostics and treatments. These goals will be built on inclusive and demand-driven partnerships for innovation so that fit-for-purpose, affordable, innovative health solutions rapidly reach all people in need.

The new strategy also highlights the need to improve engagement with civil society and countries to identify innovative ways to increase access to tests, treatments and preventive tools.

Unitaid’s success is measured through the tangible impact its investments have on people’s lives. The new roadmap for Unitaid places people at the center of its work and priorities, reflecting Unitaid’s commitment to expand the reach of the best health products for those who need them most.

“I am proud that the Executive Board approved a new strategy that builds on Unitaid’s strengths today to rise to the challenges of tomorrow and to accelerate the path towards SDG3. With this strategy, we want to go faster in achieving global goals in closer partnership with communities and countries who need our interventions,” said Marisol Touraine, Chair of the Unitaid Executive Board. “The Board stays fully committed to support efforts to mobilize resources allowing the Secretariat to successfully implement the 2023-2027 strategy.”

Unitaid will be seeking US$1.5 billion for the next five years to step up its investments and deliver the goals outlined in the new strategy.

“I look forward to our new five-year strategy supporting a global effort to end HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and improving the health of women and girls by putting the best healthcare products science can provide in reach of all who need them”, said Unitaid Executive Director Dr Philippe Duneton.

Unitaid’s investments are bringing forward the time it will take to reach global HIV, tuberculosis and malaria targets by more than three years. The supported health products are projected to save between US$5 and US$6 billion dollars between now and 2030.

The Board also elected Ambassador Cecilia Kiku Ishitani from Brazil as the new Executive Board Vice-Chair.


Media contact:

Sarah Mascheroni

Communications officer

Email: mascheronisa@who.int

Mobile: +41 79 728 73 11

Unitaid Strategy 2023-2027

FIND and Unitaid invest US$2 million to support advocacy for COVID-19 test-and-treat approaches in low- and middle-income countries

  • FIND and Unitaid are supporting 21 in-country advocacy partners across 19 low- and middle-income countries to develop and implement advocacy strategies that will improve uptake of test-and-treat approaches to combat COVID-19
  • Projects will raise awareness of COVID-19 testing and treatment among the public, key opinion leaders, and specific high-risk and vulnerable groups
  • Sitting within broader advocacy efforts, this initiative was conceptualised and executed by the Country Support Working Group, led by UNICEF, within the ACT-A Diagnostics Pillar
  • This initiative complements a previously announced investment by FIND and Unitaid of US$50 million to support early adoption of test-and-treat care packages

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics and Unitaid are investing US$2 million in a coordinated advocacy programme spanning 19 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) designed to boost access and uptake of COVID-19 tests and treatments. A total of 21 organizations with a diverse range of healthcare expertise have been selected from more than 300 applicants, following a request for proposals (RFP) and competitive selection process that included assessment by a panel of independent reviewers. Criteria for funding included previous public health advocacy experience and expected impact of test-and-treat advocacy in the targeted region.

FIND co-leads the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator Diagnostics Pillar, while Unitaid co-leads the Therapeutics Pillar. The Diagnostics Pillar’s Country Support Working Group, led by UNICEF, includes an Advocacy, Communications and Community Engagement (ACCE) Task Force (co-led by CHAI and UNICEF), which supports test-and-treat advocacy. This initiative follows the independent ACT-Accelerator strategic review that was published in October 2021, as well as calls from civil society, which both highlighted the need for increased inclusion and meaningful engagement of LMICs, regional bodies, civil society organizations, and community representatives in the COVID-19 response. Funded activities will provide avenues for stronger involvement of these key stakeholder groups in COVID-19 test-and-treat approaches.

Projects range in duration from 6 to 18 months, and will raise awareness of COVID-19 testing and treatment among the public, key opinion leaders, and specific high-risk and vulnerable groups. Partners include (listed alphabetically by country): Mhair Educational, Health and Human Rights Organization (Afghanistan), Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (Bangladesh), IMAG Communication (Burkina Faso), Maison des Associations de lutte contre le Sida (Burkina Faso), Health Poverty Action Cambodia (Cambodia), Caritas Développement Mbujimayi (Democratic Republic of the Congo), TB Alert India (India), Pi Consulting (India), Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium (Kenya), Health Poverty Action Laos (Laos), Caritas Lesotho (Lesotho), ESTAMOS (Mozambique), REDTRANS (Nicaragua), Shifa Foundation (Pakistan), Media for Deaf Rwanda (Rwanda), South Sudan Community Change Agency (South Sudan), Sikika (Tanzania), Université Mahmoud El Materi (Tunisia), HEPS (Uganda), Zambia Interfaith Working Group (Zambia), Pan-African Treatment Access Movement (Zimbabwe). Further information on these partners and their projects is included in the annex.

Bill Rodriguez, CEO of FIND, said: “We have the tools to defeat this pandemic, but in many areas of the world they are still not accessible to those who need them. Armed with learnings from the fight against HIV, we know that impact is best achieved when communities are empowered to advocate for patients to receive timely and appropriate test-and-treat services.”

Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, said: “We now have treatment options that can prevent hospitalizations and deaths for those at high risk of developing severe or critical COVID-19. Timely deployment of adequate tests and treatments in low-resource settings, especially for the people at risk of severe cases, will be key in the response to the pandemic. And supporting civil society organizations and communities, at the heart of this endeavour, is crucial for its success.”

Alexandre Costa, Senior Health Advisor at UNICEF and a co-lead of the ACCE Task Force, said: “While we have greater innovations in diagnostics for COVID-19, we are faced with a global decrease in testing rates and persisting challenges around equitable access.  Testing is a key element of the response, and the best tool we have to detect outbreaks early, reduce transmission and limit the social and economic impact.   Engaging communities in LMICs in a test and treat approach brings us closer to our shared goal of more equitable access.”

Renuka Gadde, Senior Advisor for Global Diagnostics at CHAI and co-lead of the ACCE Task Force, said: “Testing is critical to prevent outbreaks and end the pandemic, yet it is still not regularly occurring in many low- and middle-income countries. Working with governments and communities, we can help drive understanding based on countries’ unique needs to reduce bottlenecks and ensure that tests are not only available but are regularly conducted.”

Carolyn Gomes, civil society representative to the ACT-Accelerator, said: “Financial resources are absolutely essential to the sustained mobilization of community and civil society organizations toward any disease response, with these grants providing a crucial boost to efforts to advance COVID test and treat awareness and advocacy strategies. The ACT-A community and civil society representatives to the diagnostics and therapeutics pillars applaud Unitaid and FIND’s recognition of the essential role of local community and civil society participation in health literacy and dialogue on public health policy, as well as the importance of community and civil society awareness and mobilization to maximizing equity of and access to public health interventions.”

This work complements a previously announced investment by FIND and Unitaid of US$50 million, which addresses inequities in access to COVID-19 testing and treatment, as well as supporting early adoption of comprehensive, effective, and safe care packages for people with COVID-19. More recently, at the Second Global COVID-⁠19 Summit, the Global Fund, USAID and Unitaid, together with FIND and other ACT-Accelerator partners, announced more than US$120 million to support test-and-treat implementation with locally led solutions in over 20 low- and middle-income countries.

 

Annex: List of selected partners and projects

 

About FIND

FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics, seeks to ensure equitable access to reliable diagnosis around the world. We connect countries and communities, funders, decision-makers, healthcare providers and developers to spur diagnostic innovation and make testing an integral part of sustainable, resilient health systems. We are working to save 1 million lives through accessible, quality diagnosis, and save US$1 billion in healthcare costs to patients and health systems. We are co-convener of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator diagnostics pillar, and a WHO Collaborating Centre for Laboratory Strengthening and Diagnostic Technology Evaluation. For more information, please visit www.finddx.org

 

About Unitaid

Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply, and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities including advanced HIV disease, cervical cancer, and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, co-leading with Wellcome the Therapeutics Pillar and participating in the Diagnostics Pillar. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization. For more information, please visit www.unitaid.org

 

About the ACT-Accelerator

The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator is a global coalition of organizations developing and deploying the new diagnostics, treatments and vaccines needed to end the acute phase of the pandemic. Pooling the expertise of its many partners, the ACT-Accelerator has quickly ushered in rapid, affordable tests and effective medicines for low and middle-income countries and established the COVAX facility for the equitable procurement and distribution of vaccines in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The ACT Accelerator partnership was formed at the onset of the pandemic in response to a call from G20 leaders, and was launched by WHO, the European Commission, France, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Media contacts:

FIND

Sarah-Jane Loveday
Director of Communications
M: +41 79 431 62 44
media@finddx.org

 

Unitaid

Maggie Zander
Communications officer
M: +41 79 593 17 74
zanderm@unitaid.who.int