First-line tuberculosis drugs initiative

Tuberculosis medicine at a clinic in South Sudan, where patients receive their medicine along with educational messages about TB (Image: John Rae/The Global Fund)

Supporting the purchase of first-line treatments for tuberculosis to minimize the risk of drug stock-outs.

Challenges

Delays and interruptions during first-line treatment for tuberculosis (TB) can lead to treatment failure and the disease developing resistance to drugs.

Solutions

The project supported the purchase of first-line TB treatments to minimize the risk of drug stock-outs. It also sought to curb the emergence of drug resistance, which can arise from delays and interruptions in treatment, by ensuring that quality first-line TB treatments were available to countries.

Impact achieved

Over the course of the project, 786,843 first-line TB treatments were delivered to 19 countries. The project increased the number of quality-approved manufacturers making TB drugs available, and negotiated lower prices for these medicines.