Disease Narrative for HIV

South Africa to introduce state-of-the-art HIV treatment

The country has the largest national HIV programme in the world Unitaid has played a key role in ushering in the new and improved treatment, which works toward ending the HIV epidemic

Johannesburg, South Africa – One in five people in the world on HIV medication will be able to switch to a simpler, more affordable, more effective treatment following an announcement today that the Government of South Africa will roll out a state-of-the-art treatment regime that was introduced with the support of Unitaid.

Because about 20 percent of the people worldwide who have HIV live in South Africa, the introduction of the new treatment there is expected to have a far-reaching impact on the global HIV response, said Lelio Marmora, Unitaid executive director.

“We are pleased that our investments, globally and directly in South Africa, have helped set the stage for this more affordable and effective treatment,” Mr. Marmora said

South Africa also accounts for more than 10 percent of all HIV-related deaths and 15 percent of new infections.

The new regimen, known as TLD, is a three-in-one, fixed-dose combination that includes dolutegravir, lamivudine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. Dolutegravir is already the drug of choice for people living with HIV in high-income countries. It has fewer side effects and is easier to take than other formulations—only one small tablet daily. It also has less negative interaction with other medicines such as those for tuberculosis, a leading cause of people living with HIV.

The new regimen also helps prevent antimicrobial resistance; because it involves fewer pills and side effects, patients are more likely to stick with the treatment. When patients drop treatments, or do not take them correctly, drug-resistant microbes get a chance to develop. Patients must then turn to second-line drugs, which can be up to ten times as expensive.

The South Africa Department of Health will begin the rollout of TLD among people living with HIV on 1 December, which is World AIDS Day. The country has about 4.8 million people on antiretroviral treatment. Scale-up of the new regimen is expected to contribute to reaching the UN’s goals for ending the HIV epidemic by 2030.

Unitaid has invested heavily over the last three years in better antiretrovirals. Efforts include four clinical trials, funding to the Medicines Patent Pool for affordable generics, market-shaping interventions to lower prices, and technical support to the South Africa Department of Health via the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

Those efforts have helped bring about a price drop in dolutegravir-based treatment to a global low of US$ 75 per person per year. Further price reductions are expected, which could save health systems US$ 300 million each year, enough to put an additional 5 million people on treatment.

Through funding to the Medicines Patent Pool, dolutegravir-based regimens were introduced in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria only three years after they were introduced in the US and Europe. Previous generations of antiretrovirals took up to 10 years to become available.

Coordinator of the African Community Advisory Board Kenly Sikwese, who is living with HIV, said that switching to a dolutegravir-based treatment has allowed him to once again “function as a human being” after suffering from lethargy with other medicines.

“Creating better HIV medicines, tests and prevention methods is one thing, and getting them to people in African countries is another whole process,” said Mr. Sikwese, who is also a Unitaid Executive Board member representing communities living with the disease.

Aiming to make the HIV response more equitable and efficient, Unitaid has involved communities in Africa at all stages of its antiretroviral projects—from designing and conducting clinical trials to review of World Health Organization guidelines.


For media enquiries:

Unitaid thanks President Macron for support and leadership at the Global Fund’s successful replenishment conference

Lyon – Unitaid wholeheartedly thanks President Emmanuel Macron for France’s renewed three-year contribution, support that enables Unitaid to continue its push to bring about the innovations needed to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals for global health.

“We maintain our full commitment to Unitaid,” President Macron said, speaking in Lyon today at the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference. “I want to announce here the renewal of our support for the next three years.”

France is one of the founders of Unitaid, and its leading donor.

Unitaid also congratulates France for its leadership in the Global Fund’s successful replenishment, which met its goal Thursday afternoon by raising $US 14 billion for the next three years to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics.

Unitaid works closely with the Global Fund to develop global health innovations that can be introduced on a large scale.

“France’s steadfast support of Unitaid can be directly credited with millions of lives saved and improved through better access to high-quality medicines, the latest tests and methods,” Unitaid Executive Director Lelio Marmora said. “President Macron is showing unprecedented, extraordinary leadership in pushing us to do more.”

Related news:


For more information:

Health innovation is a major theme at the Global Fund’s 6th Replenishment Conference

Lyon – The Global Fund and Unitaid are celebrating innovation today, at a special gathering on the eve of the Global Fund’s 6th Replenishment Conference.

And for good reason: Without innovations supported and led by both organisations, it would take an estimated three extra years for the Global Fund to achieve its intended impact. Moreover, innovations supported by Unitaid and the Global Fund are projected to reach more than 100 million people every year from 2021 through 2023.

Tuesday’s gathering drew key figures from the global health community, countries, civil society, and donors including France, a major financier of global health. Speakers emphasized innovation’s essential role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Global Fund and Unitaid have been working closely with countries and partners to ensure that the best innovations reach everyone, especially the most vulnerable. While Unitaid makes health products more suitable, effective, and affordable, the Global Fund and countries implement them on a large scale. Co-funded projects are introducing new-generation insecticide sprays and innovative bed nets to stop malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

“Innovation is essential if we are to end the epidemics,” said Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund. “We need to devise better diagnostics, prevention, treatment and delivery models and get them quickly to the people who need them.”

A Unitaid pilot proved that millions of paediatric malaria cases in the Sahel region of Africa could be prevented with four doses of oral medication per child. The Global Fund responded to the successful pilot by widely implementing the prevention method.  Seasonal malaria chemoprevention is now protecting small children from malaria in 12 Sahel countries.

“Innovation is at the heart of Unitaid, and we have always worked hand in hand with the Global Fund,”Unitaid Executive Director Lelio Marmora said. “Together we have a moral obligation to guarantee that these innovations, when widely implemented, will improve the lives of all those in need.”

Together, #StepUpTheFight !

Related news:


For more information:

The Hummingbird. Unitaid News – September 2019

Unitaid News

The Hummingbird. Unitaid News – August 2019

Unitaid News

Unitaid welcomes the appointment of Winnie Byanyima to lead UNAIDS

Geneva – Unitaid warmly welcomes the appointment of Winnie Byanyima as the new executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

“I would like to congratulate Winnie Byanyima for taking on the leadership of UNAIDS at such a critical juncture in the fight against HIV,” said Unitaid’s Executive Director Lelio Marmora. “Ms Byanyima brings the much-needed wealth of experience and strong commitment to the fight and I look forward to our collaboration in accelerating the end of HIV and co-infections.”

UNAIDS has always been a key partner to Unitaid since inception in expanding access to innovative HIV treatment and care, accelerating progress towards an HIV-free world. With Winnie Byanyima now on board and her 30 years of experience in political leadership, diplomacy and humanitarian engagement, we will continue joining efforts to collectively reach the global targets.

Unitaid welcomes WHO’s new HIV treatment recommendation

Geneva – Unitaid welcomes the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new recommendation this week that the HIV drug dolutegravir (DTG) be used as the preferred first- and second-line treatment for all populations, including pregnant women and those of childbearing potential.

Unitaid’s work with partners has been instrumental in bringing this state-of-the-art drug to lower-income countries at the heart of the world’s HIV epidemic.

Data from Unitaid-funded studies helped WHO arrive at its recommendation by showing DTG to be effective, affordable and with fewer side effects. The studies also found that the HIV virus is less likely to develop resistance to DTG than to common alternatives such as efavirenz.

Unitaid has invested US$ 87 million to optimize HIV treatments, working with partners including Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS), Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Unitaid supports WHO’s position that every treatment decision should be based on an informed discussion with a health provider, weighing the benefits and potential risks.