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Therapeutics

The Therapeutics Pillar, co-led by Wellcome, the Global Fund and Unitaid, actively tracks the pipeline for new therapeutic products, engaging originator and generic companies on access issues for front-runner candidates. The Global Fund, UNICEF and WHO lead procurement and deployment of COVID-19 therapeutics, including oxygen and related products, once confirmed in WHO guidelines.

Achievements
(April 2020 – 31 March 2023)

US$ 29.5 million worth of COVID-19 medicines procured, and US$ 261m in funding awarded by the Global Fund’s C19RM to countries for therapeutics and other supportive hospital equipment.

The Test to Treat coordination group supported the successful delivery of oral antivirals in four countries and launched discussions on developing a standard set of metrics to measure country preparedness for surges and future outbreaks.

US$ 410.7 million worth of oxygen supplies procured and US$ 605 million awarded to countries for medical oxygen from the Global Fund’s C19RM.

IMPACT STORY: OXYGEN ACCESS IN ZAMBIA

In 2021, Unitaid and CHAI signed Memoranda of Understanding with two major gas companies, Air Liquide and Linde Group. The Oxygen Taskforce has been working with countries to leverage these agreements and secure oxygen supply at competitive prices for their COVID-19 needs. The multilateral response in Zambia is a key example of how these agreements have been effectively operationalized by countries to support their pandemic response.

Through the MoU, CHAI, AFROX (a subsidiary of Linde Group) and the Ministry of Health of Zambia worked together to increase the production and availability of medical oxygen when it was most needed during their 3rd COVID-19 wave. The Ministry of Health secured the refilling of 10,000 oxygen cylinders through CHAI guaranteeing 10 weeks of refills at $19/refill with 30 – 60 day payment terms. This initial order and guarantee incentivized the Lusaka industrial gas plant to switch industrial supply to medical supply, and at the same time Afrox agreed to convert additional industrial cylinders to medical standards. Since then, three additional donors have been exploring procuring via this production facility and CHAI Zambia has since signed an agreement with AFROX Zambia for the installation of a tank at Lusaka’s Levy Hospital with 6 months refills.