Lilly funds Red Cross/Crescent programs

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and US drug major Eli Lilly have signed an agreement which will allow an eight-fold increase in the number of IF-supported programs to fight multidrug-resistant tuberculosis over the next four years. Lilly's $1.6 million contribution will finance projects between 2008 and 2011. In 2008 alone, the IF will expand its support to 10 additional MDR-TB programs in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Romania, Georgia, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa, for a total of 14.

"It is vital that tuberculosis patients complete their treatment, both to be cured and to avoid a relapse into the more serious form of the disease, called multidrug-resistant TB, which is much more expensive and difficult to treat," explained Markku Niskala, secretary general of the IF. "We have noticed an increase of MDR-TB in certain regions, and it is essential we expand our programs to help curb this trend. The Lilly funds will allow us to do that," he added.

The first phase of the IF and Lilly MDR-TB Program was implemented from 2004 to 2007 in three pilot countries. "Based on the success of the current programs in Kazakhstan, Romania and Uzbekistan, we embrace the challenge of expanding this program to cover more than ten countries," says Sidney Taurel, chief executive of Lilly, adding that "these activities join those of a larger partnership of 14 public and private organizations around the world committed to fighting MDR-TB from every angle. We will continue to learn lessons from existing programs and improve our initiatives to best serve those suffering from MDR-TB, and to best prevent its spread."