Today Unitaid published an updated “disease narrative” for tuberculosis – a rigorous analysis of the context surrounding the disease – to help guide its investments.

A primary goal of Unitaid is to identify how it can best contribute to the global response with carefully targeted investments that help, for example, to overcome specific obstacles such as high prices for medicines that show promise.

These “areas for intervention”, pinpointing where Unitaid’s investments can most effectively help advance global health goals to end tuberculosis, are the building blocks of our work. They also enable our partners to achieve more with scarce resources.

The narrative published today reviews tuberculosis, including the overall disease burden; the strategies that are being pursued in order to meet global health goals; actions of partners in pursuing those goals; the extent of any gaps in the response; and the opportunities for intervention by Unitaid.

On the basis of the disease narrative and following consultation with its partners, Unitaid maps out each of the areas in which it can intervene and proposes them to the Board for validation. Unitaid then launches calls for proposal from potential grantees after identifying specific interventions within each area.

The Executive Board last week gave the green light for Unitaid to invest in increasing access to improved and shorter treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis; better tuberculosis treatment for children; and preventive therapy for populations at greatest risk of developing active tuberculosis disease.

• Read the document: “Disease Narrative for Tuberculosis” [PDF]
• Lire le document : “Analyse stratégique de la tuberculose : défis prioritaires à considérer par Unitaid” [PDF]