Executive board affirms Unitaid’s vision for a changing global health landscape

Unitaid’s 46th Executive Board meeting concluded this week during a pivotal moment in global health. Above all, one message rang clear: the organization is entering a new era, one shaped by today’s global health realities and a renewed commitment to country-led solutions.

The global health landscape is changing fast. Reductions in official development assistance is straining the ability of countries and organizations to respond to urgent health threats, from tuberculosis, HIV and malaria to growing challenges related to climate change, and women’s and children’s health. Without continued action, decades of hard-won progress could be lost.

Against this backdrop, Unitaid’s role becomes even more critical. Sustaining momentum on health innovation and ensuring that breakthrough tools reach low- and middle-income countries affordably is not only vital to protect past gains, but also essential to help countries bridge newly widening gaps with practical, cost-effective solutions for their populations.

To meet this challenge, Unitaid is strengthening its approach to better support country-driven priorities. Marking the midpoint of its 2023–2027 strategy, the Board initiated a review of its implementation, starting with a reflection on prioritization principles to ensure Unitaid’s interventions continue delivering maximum value amid ongoing structural and geopolitical shifts.

The Board also reviewed the 2024 Key Performance Indicators report, which highlighted Unitaid’s growing reach – now extending to an estimated 320 million people – and underscored the strength of its results framework. According to independent analysis by Cambridge Economic Policy Associates (CEPA), every dollar invested in Unitaid generates approximately 46 dollars in public health benefits, making it a highly effective investment.

The organization is focused on three strategic principles – efficiency, integration, and sustainability – which were echoed throughout Board discussions and are reflected across Unitaid’s portfolio:

• Efficiency: With over US$10 billion in projected cumulative savings by 2030, Unitaid is achieving greater value through high-impact interventions designed in close partnership with countries to ensure limited resources go further. By investing in catalytic innovations such as Lenacapavir, and the regional production of health products, Unitaid helps reduce prices, streamline delivery, and strengthen health systems.

• Integration: Unitaid breaks down siloed approaches to help countries implement health innovations in smarter, more connected ways. Whether integrating cervical cancer screening into existing HIV platforms or linking pediatric TB screening to primary care, Unitaid’s time-bound investments reduce duplication, minimize risk, and pave the way for scale.

• Sustainability: Driving long-term impact by aligning investments with domestic financing strategies,  innovative funding models, and regional manufacturing capacity.

The Board also approved the new composition of Unitaid’s Proposal Review Committee, which is Unitaid’s independent body of experts responsible for rigorously evaluating funding proposals, ensuring transparency and accountability in grant decision-making, and providing high-quality recommendations. The new composition brings together deep experience with fresh insight to ensure that proposals are rigorously reviewed in line with Unitaid’s strategic direction and the changing needs of global health.

As the seismic shifts in global health continue, Unitaid’s value proposition – catalyzing access to innovative tools through targeted, strategic investment – is more relevant than ever. The organization remains laser-focused on helping countries achieve universal health coverage and deliver the right tools to the right people at the right time.