Access is not an afterthought: equitable access to lifesaving tools for global health

Abstract: 

The need for faster, equitable access to affordable and effective health products has never been greater. Unitaid is a global health agency and grantmaking organization making new and better health products available and affordable for people in low- and middle-income countries. Working with partners, Unitaid identifies innovative treatments, tests and tools, helps tackle the market barriers that are holding them back, and get them to the people who need them most – fast. Since its creation in 2006, Unitaid has unlocked access to more than 100 groundbreaking health products to help address the world’s biggest health challenges, including HIV, TB and malaria; women’s and children’s health; and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Every year, more than 170 million people benefit from the products Unitaid has helped roll out. This seminar will provide perspectives on what it takes to achieve equitable access to lifesaving tools for global health – including concrete examples from Unitaid-supported global health projects, and an outlook on where more attention is urgently needed.