Unitaid to improve access to diagnostics through integrated tools and delivery approaches with new call for proposals

The deadline for proposal submission is Monday 19 January 2026 at 12:00 (noon) CET 

Unitaid seeks to fund new initiatives that will expand access to diagnostics through the adoption of integrated diagnostic tools and delivery approaches.  The goal is to accelerate equitable access to effective, affordable, and innovative solutions that can enable multi-disease detection within health systems, and link people to treatment and care. Through this effort, Unitaid intends to strengthen the resilience of routine health programs, while also strengthening preparedness for a broader range of future health threats.  

Globally, nearly half of the global population has little or no access to diagnostics, according to the Lancet Commission on Diagnostics. Despite progress over the last decades, hundreds of millions of people in low- and middle-income countries, particularly those seeking care in primary healthcare facilities, continue to go without care for treatable diseases because of these gaps in access to essential, timely and accurate diagnostics.  Delayed or missed diagnoses lead to inappropriate treatment, preventable illness and death.  

Unitaid will invest US$25 million to support projects that: 

• Work with countries and affected communities to design and deploy integrated diagnostics strategies.  

• Accelerate the adoption and roll out of integrated diagnostic tools, with a focus on molecular diagnostics, to expand access to tools that can diagnose multiple diseases, particularly at or near the point of care. 

Proposals should aim to generate evidence on feasibility, impact, and scalability of integrated diagnostics approaches, with a clear pathway from evidence to policy for national and regional adoption. Projects are expected to work in four to five countries, in collaboration with national programs and partners. 

This investment builds on Unitaid’s longstanding efforts to advance equitable access to diagnostics and complements ongoing initiatives across HIV, TB, hepatitis, cervical cancer, and women and children’s health. Integrated diagnostics offer an opportunity to leverage existing infrastructure, strengthen preparedness for future health threats, and improve efficiencies across health systems – ensuring more people get necessary prevention or treatment. 

Key dates:  

• The closing date for receipt of full proposals is Monday 19 January 2026 at 12:00 (noon) CET. Applications received past the indicated deadline will not be considered.   

• Unitaid will host a webinar to present the scope and content of the call for proposals and answer any process-related questions on Thursday 6 November at 13:00 CET.  

Learn more about how to submit a proposal here.