Access

Reaching Those in Need

Children in 88 Countries Now Receiving Improved TB Medicines

After years of neglect, children around the world are beginning to have access to child-friendly TB medicines in the correct doses. Developed by TB Alliance and partners and first introduced in 2016, more than 800,000 courses of the child-appropriate, fruit-flavored and dispersible medicines have now been procured by 88 countries, including many with the highest TB burdens. In 2018, these treatments were featured in World Health Organization’s Best Practices in Child and Adolescent Tuberculosis Care. The new medicines are currently available to order through the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility and directly through manufacturers.

TB Alliance and partners received the Global Health Technology Coalition’s 2018 Innovating for Impact Award

Preparing for Pretomanid

TB Alliance’s “AAA mandate,” has committed the organization to ensuring that all new treatments will be adopted, available and affordable to those with TB. With regulatory submissions planned or underway, TB Alliance has been working to enable quick and widespread access to pretomanid and the BPaL regimen at affordable prices pending regulatory approvals. Major achievements to date include building a foundation for commercialization partnerships for pretomanid as part of the BPaL and BPaMZ regimens, as well as engaging with additional generic manufacturers to foster competition and ensure sustainability and affordability of new treatments.

PARTNER PROFILE

Partnerships to End Childhood TB

Each year, one million children get sick with TB and about 210,000 needlessly die. That's nearly 600 preventable child deaths each day.

TB Alliance and partners have worked to help end the neglect of children with TB. Upon developing TB medicines in correct doses and appropriate forms and tastes for children, we sought partnerships with manufacturers who could help drive widespread uptake of these improved therapies. Macleods Pharmaceuticals was a key partner in our efforts, spearheading critical formulation and development work that helped these new medicines reach children in need as quickly as possible. With the assistance of a diverse network of partners, more than 800,000 courses of improved TB treatment for children have been ordered, benefitting children and families around the world.