E-DRUG: Unitaid: More countries should apply solidarity to complement funding for global health
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UNITAID PRESS RELEASE/10/06/2010*
SECURE FUNDING KEY TO KEEP EXPANDING TREATMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH AIDS,
MALARIA AND TB
Geneva, 10 June 2010* — At a meeting which ended last night, the Executive
Board of UNITAID approved a plan to step up efforts to enlist more countries
to apply a solidarity levy on air tickets to provide additional funding for
the health Millennium Development Goals. The Board approved a number of
resolutions, among them the final phase of the establishment of a medicines
patent pool, but a situation of depleting funds raises concerns for the many
patients currently being treated by UNITAID.
UNITAID, a medicines financing facility for AIDS, malaria and TB in
developing countries, operates on the basis of long-term, predictable
financing to ensure sustainable, uninterrupted supplies of medicines and
price reductions that allow for more people to be treated for the same
outlay. 70% of that long-term financing - about $ 250 million annually -
comes from a small solidarity levy applied to each air line ticket bought in
six member countries; the rest comes from multi-year contributions from
other donors. However, in recent months, a situation has arisen where
current donors' financing has not assured the funding predictability needed,
and potential new countries are delaying the application of the air tax as a
way of raising money for UNITAID action.
"We have had some tangible impact on markets for medicines and diagnostics,"
said Jorge Bermudez, Executive Secretary of UNITAID. "Prices for several
AIDS medicines have come down by as much as 60%; new medicines for children
with AIDS and TB have been brought to the market due to our guarantee to
producers that there is money on the table. Because of price reductions, it
is estimated that between $ 300-500 million will be saved over the next
three years. Without that predictability, we will not be able to build on
this achievement."
Of particular concern is the continuation of treatment for children with
HIV/AIDS in about 40 countries. UNITAID's implementing partner in this area,
the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), has asked for $ 150 million to
extend a project in 29 countries over 2011-2012, in order to assist
countries to obtain future support from other funding partners, such as The
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria or PEPFAR.
"While UNITAID's Board has been supportive of this project since 2007, "
said Philippe Duneton, UNITAID's Deputy, "we need more money in the bank to
approve its extension. We are still waiting for some donor pledges for 2010
and, apart from Spain, Cyprus, Luxembourg and the Gates Foundation, we have
no other pledges for 2011."
Of the 900 000 children needing AIDS treatment today, UNITAID treats about
300 000; and in terms of children already treated, UNITAID covers the
majority, estimated to be close to 80%.
Another issue discussed was a UNITAID-UNICEF-World Health Organization
project on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS. UNITAID
has invested $ 72 million in 17 of the highest burden countries. One of the
projects, covering seven countries, has placed 160 000 women on prevention
regimens, averting about 140 000 infections to newborns. UNITAID projects
are designed in such a way that, once markets for the health products
required are stabilised, the continuation of the project is handed to a
larger funding source or to the local government. However, the current lack
of predictable funding will make it difficult for these projects to
transition to other funding sources, especially given that these - the
Global Fund, UNICEF, PEPFAR, etc. - are also seeking increased funds.
"There is a general climate of depleting funds for health and development,"
said Philippe Douste-Blazy, Chair of the UNITAID Executive Board. "We can
use the financial crisis as a valid reason, of course, but we can see that
when it comes to rescuing banks or currencies, those funds are quite readily
available. We need to have the same sense of urgency and purpose when it
comes to saving lives."
Other decisions by the UNITAID Executive Board included:
- the final phase for the establishment of the Medicines Patent Pool
Foundation - a voluntary licensing agency for key AIDS drugs, which will
contribute towards greater access to more affordable and better medicines
for people living with AIDS in the developing world. The foundation is
scheduled to open its doors in the next few months;
- the entry of Spain as an official member into the UNITAID Executive Board.
Spain is UNITAID's third largest donor with multi-year commitments of EURO
15 million annually;
- the approval of a two million dollar project extension for paediatric TB
treatment in 58 countries. The project, managed by the STOP TB Partnership,
is one of the first to supply new medicines recently introduced into the
World Health Organization treatment guidelines;
- the establishment of an official Proposal Review Committee - essentially a
group of independent experts who advise UNITAID and its Board on the value
of project proposals submitted by partners, especially in terms of market
and public health impact.
UNITAID was launched in 2006 as an innovative mechanism for scaling up
access to treatment for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Founded by Brazil, Chile, France, Norway and the UK, today UNITAID has the
support of 29 countries as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
UNITAID currently supports partner programmes in 94 countries worldwide - we
are addressing HIV/AIDS in 51 countries; malaria in 29; and tuberculosis in 72
countries.
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Contact: Daniela Bagozzi, UNITAID Communication; Tel. +41 22 791 45 44; Mob.
+41 79 475 54 90; Email: bagozzid@who.int