After relentless advocacy by patient groups in Ukraine, a partnership between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Ukraine Ministry of Health has resulted in the successful procurement of first and second-line drugs for tuberculosis (TB). Through their open bidding process, UNDP was able to secure significantly lower prices for 15 of the 18 TB medicines they will purchase on behalf of Ukraine, and save USD 1 million, which could be reinvested to treat an additional 28,000 patients with drug-sensitive TB or 700 patients with drug-resistant TB. Delivery of the first shipment of medicines is expected as early as April.
For more information on this exciting development, please see a press release issued by the Patients of Ukraine.