Announcements archive

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, S. Maugeri Foundation in Tradate Italy and the WHO Stop TB Department will run a training workshop on Public-Private Mix for TB control from 14-19 April 2008 in Sondalo. For further information and registration please write to rosella.centis@fsm.it

19 February, 2008 - From September through December 2007 the Global Drug Facility (GDF) conducted a competitive selection process among pre-qualified first-line drug manufacturers through its Procurement Agent, GTZ.

This competitive process is now complete, and GDF and GTZ are pleased to announce that awards have been made to five suppliers. Four of them - Svizera, Cadila, Strides and Lupin - were already serving as GDF suppliers. One new supplier, Macleods, also was selected. This expansion in the supplier pool indicates strong interest and competition among manufacturers, and augurs well for favourable pricing and availability of high quality anti-TB drugs.

GDF and GTZ have also introduced a new pricing system for first-line drugs that provides firmer estimates of total costs. Through consultation and cooperation with its agents, GDF is now able to list prices inclusive of quality assurance (QA) and Procurement Agent (PA) costs - a move that will aid clients in their budgeting and planning and lead to a more efficient drug procurement process.

GDF is committed to providing affordable high-quality anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs to countries with a high TB burden and stimulating capacity and competition in the production sector.

The Partnership has a variety of open meetings scheduled immediately preceding and during the Conference, between 5-13 November.
Roadmap to Partnership meetings
Conference link

A civil society meeting focussing on TB across the wider European region will take place from 09.00 until 18.00 at the Hilton Hotel in Berlin on Sunday 21 October. The event, which has been sponsored by the Public Health Programme of the Open Society Institute, will bring together representatives and groups working with prisoners and the homeless, migrant and Roma communities. Other participants will include health workers, trade unions and groups advocating on behalf of children.

More information

To ensure that the GDF continues to operate effectively as it takes on such new challenges, the GDF Business Advisory Committee (BAC) considers the complex set of business issues specifically relevant to GDF procurement operations and strategy implementation and makes recommendations to GDF and the Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board.

GDF is currently seeking nominations for two new candidates to serve on the GDF BAC.

If you or someone you know would be a suitable candidate for the BAC, please submit your nomination to the GDF. Generally, candidates for the BAC should have significant expertise and relationships in one or more of the following fields: raw material manufacturing, pharmacy, product formulation for drugs and diagnostics, contract law, business development, competitive procurement processes, pricing and distribution. For this call, GDF is particularly interested in candidates with expertise in quality assurance including prequalification, regulatory law with an emphasis on drug registration, an understanding of market dynamics for second-line anti-TB drugs, or marketing and resource mobilization. Nominations should include a short cover letter explaining why the candidate would be a valuable contributor to the BAC, as well as a CV or resume for the candidate.

All nominations and materials must be sent by email to the GDF. Emails should be directed to gdf@who.int with the subject heading: NOMINATION FOR GDF BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The closing date for receipt of nominations is October 1st 2007.

The Stop TB Partnership Secretariat is pleased to announce the following 22 organizations whose proposals have been recommended for funding amounting to US$ 384 038.87

Click here for more information

The Working Group on MDR-TB of the Stop TB Partnership will meet from 20 to 22 September 2007 in Tbilisi. The meeting will bring together people who have worked on projects approved by the Green Light Committee and representatives from countries around the world that are engaged in MDR-TB management. Its aim is to share best practices and challenges with view to developing strategies for accelerating the scale up of MDR-TB management in accordance with the Global MDR-TB and XDR-TB Response Plan 2007-2008. The MDR-TB Working Group is a global forum on MDR-TB management open to all interested parties.

Draft agenda

25 June, 2007 - The Global Drug Facility (GDF) is currently seeking nominations of experts in tuberculosis (TB) control and drug management to join its Technical Review Committee (TRC). The GDF TRC is responsible for reviewing applications to GDF for grants of free anti-TB drugs, and advising the Stop TB Partnership on which grant applications to accept and the level and nature of the grant to provide.

If you or someone you know would be a suitable candidate for the TRC, please submit your nomination to GDF. Candidates for the TRC should have significant expertise and experience in one or more of the following fields: Clinical TB, TB Diagnostics, Drug management, Human Resource Management, International Development, International Financing for anti-TB Drugs, MDR/XDR TB, Paediatric TB, Procurement and Logistics, TB Epidemiology, TB Monitoring and Evaluation and TB/HIV.
All nominations and materials must be sent by email to GDF by 30 July 2007. Emails should be directed to gdf@who.int with the subject heading: "NOMINATION FOR GDF Technical Review Committee". For more information, click here.

The sixteenth round of applications to the Global Drug Facility (GDF) is now open and the GDF Secretariat is accepting applications from governments for grants of free first-line paediatric anti-tuberculosis drugs. The closing date for receipt of applications is 04 June 2007.
Click here to read the complete announcement: English, French

The Stop TB Partnership Challenge Fund for Civil Society (CFCS) is a mechanism to provide financial support to small groups of civil society organizations and for funding advocacy and social mobilization activities at the grass roots level. It is targeted at civil society groups that are seeking to shape policy-making at local and national levels.

Click here to find out more

The RFP posted on the above allowed clarifications to be sought until 30 March. Based on the queries received, placed below is a general response to the collective queries raised. This might be of help to those wishing to send in a proposal by the stated deadline in the RFP.

Generalised Questions and answers on the RFP
WHO Data collection form for TB Control Programmes

Please note that the deadline for questions on the RFP is now past and no further responses will be possible.

GDF Diagnostic Kits provide the laboratory equipment and consumables needed to diagnose Tuberculosis. These standardized kits were piloted and evaluated in three countries and found to represent a valuable contribution to improving case finding, laboratory performance and correct diagnosis of TB. The new kits continue a GDF tradition of packaging essential, high quality products in ways that simplify the work of national programmes.

Click here to find out more about GDF diagnostic kits and their evaluation.