UNITAID reduces pediatric HIV/AIDS drug price 40%

The international drug purchasing facility UNITAID has claimed its first year to be a success, arguing that it has reduced HIV/AIDS therapies for children by "almost 40%." In addition, second-line antiretroviral drugs have been purchased at discounts of between 25%-50%. In collaboration with the US Clinton Foundation, UNITAID says it has delivered 30,000 pediatric treatments and believes it is on course to achieve drug coverage for 100,000 children by the end of the current year.

To date, the Geneva, Switzerland-headquartered agency has delivered ARVs in four African countries: Botswana, Cameroon, Uganda and Zambia.

Operating in conjunction with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, UNITAID has also bought 1.3 million doses of antimalarial artemisinin-based combination therapies for distribution in Burundi and Liberia. Eight further countries are also being supported by the agency's ACT effort, in cooperation with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as UNICEF. Deliveries to these countries are due to begin during October.