E-DRUG: UNITAID Civil Society Delegations' Communiques May 2014 Board & Committee meetings available
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brief Report on 19th UNITAID Executive Board Special Session on Funding
Proposals, Policy and Strategy Committee, and Finance and Accountability
Committee meetings
5-7 May 2014, Geneva
The Civil Society delegations to the UNITAID Board (representing
Communities affected by HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, and NGOs working on the
global response to the three diseases) attended the UNITAID Board Special
Session on Funding Proposals, and Board Committee meetings, in May 2014 in
Geneva.
Key funding decisions were made at the Board Special Session, including to
fund:
· Two projects which will expand access to the new direct-acting
antiretrovirals to treat Hepatitis C, which are set to revolutionise
treatment of the disease.
· Two projects funding civil society actors? advocacy to address
intellectual property barriers to treatment access (for HIV, and one of
the Hepatitis C projects described above).
· A large global seasonal malaria chemoprevention programme,
expanding access to this highly effective preventive measure for 7.5
million children per year.
· A project accelerating access to new drugs to treat multi-drug
resistant tuberculosis, and to define a better, shorter and simpler
regimen for treating the disease.
Resolutions from the Board meeting are available at
http://www.unitaid.eu/en/how/gov/resolutions/9-uncategorised/1353-eb19ssp-resolutions
At the Policy and Strategy and Finance and Accountability Committee
meetings, discussions took place on a number of UNITAID?s key partnerships
(including the Global Fund, and civil society), UNITAID?s draft guidelines
on access and intellectual property to guide engagement with companies
(when UNITAID supports aspects of product development), and UNITAID?s
resource mobilisation efforts.
Full reports on the discussions and outcomes at both the UNITAID Board
Special Session on Funding Proposals, and the two UNITAID Committee
meetings, are available from the Civil Society delegations? Liaison
Officer, to all members of the Civil Society delegations? Contact Group.
The Civil Society delegations? report on its annual grant, and new
Conflict of Interest policy are also included.
Any representative of a Community affected by HIV/AIDS, TB or malaria, or
of an NGO working to fight the three diseases, may join the Civil Society
delegations? to UNITAID Contact Group. Please contact the delegations?
Liaison Officer Jessica Hamer (jhamer@oxfam.org.uk) in order to join the
Contact Group, and receive a copy of the full delegations? report.
A report from the 20th UNITAID Board meeting, 12-13 June 2014, will also
be available shortly.
What is UNITAID?
UNITAID is an innovative global health initiative that uses its long-term
sustainable funding to support projects that positively impact the market
for medicines, diagnostics and other health products for HIV/AIDS, TB and
malaria in developing countries. UNITAID raises money through a
combination of levies on airline tickets and long-term government funding.
UNITAID also encourages innovation to ensure medicines are available in
formulations and combinations that are best suited to the target
populations and treatment conditions in developing countries.
What are the Civil Society Delegations?
The UNITAID Board has 12 seats, including one seat for communities
affected by HIV, TB or malaria, and another seat for NGOs involved in the
global fight against these diseases. Each board seat allows for one board
and one alternate board member at the table. Together, the Communities and
NGOs delegates to the UNITAID Board form the Civil Society Delegations.
Communities and NGOs Board Members choose to work together a great deal
but constitute two distinct delegations, each with its own voice and
strengths.
Jessica Hamer | Liaison Officer,
Civil Society Delegations to UNITAID Board
Jessica Hamer <JHamer@oxfam.org.uk>