The problem
When this project started, pediatric formulation of tuberculosis (TB) medicines were unavailable in low- and middle-income countries, even though children accounted for 10% of all TB cases and are more vulnerable to infection. This meant that children ill with TB were given bitter-tasting pills dosed for adults and caregivers would have to cut the pill into approximate doses that children often struggled to swallow. The unavailability of child medicines severely hindered treatment completion and success and contributed to countless child deaths.
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Our response
We aimed to create a market for child-friendly TB drugs by increasing the number of manufacturers and stimulating competition between them to bring the price of the drugs down. The project successfully increased the supply of TB medicines and products for preventing TB specifically designed for children. More funders became interested in supporting the manufacturing of these treatments, various formulations were brought to market and the prices of two TB medicines for children dropped during the life of the project.
