Geneva – Unitaid is investing a further $22.1 million in the World Health Organization´s (WHO) prequalification programme for medicines and diagnostics.

Unitaid has supported the prequalification programme for medicines since 2006, and for diagnostics since 2009. With the new investment, Unitaid´s support to the programme now stands at about US$ 157 million.

‘WHO is grateful for Unitaid’s support to our prequalification programme,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It has been critical in ensuring that the health products reaching millions of patients across the world are of good quality, safe and effective.”

The new grant, for 2019-2021, supports some aspects of prequalification of medicines and in vitro diagnostics, and the WHO collaborative procedure for registration.

WHO prequalification is an internationally recognized process that enables medicines and other health products to be procured and distributed by international funding bodies such as the Global Fund.

WHO, Unitaid and the Global Fund are among the 12 organizations that have united to accelerate progress towards the health-related SDGs through a shared Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All.