First meeting of TB Product Procurement and Market Shaping Working Group

27 July 2016, Washington, United States - On 27 July 2016, the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility convened the first meeting of the TB Product Procurement and Market Shaping Working Group. This Working Group will serve to bring together procurers and key stakeholders, including people affected by TB and advocates, in order to address common procurement and market shaping challenges inherent to the fragile TB markets. 27 participants from USAID, CHAI, GDF, Global Fund, TB Alliance, MSF, MSH, TAG, UNDP, UNITAID, USP, WHO, TB advocates and experts attended the meeting.

The overall purpose of this Working Group will be to improve supply security and affordability of quality-assured TB products. This will be done through strategic management of demand, streamlining product selection to address market fragmentation, coordination of procurement, and sending clear signals to suppliers on products and formulations in need of development and support.

Brenda Waning was selected as a Chair of the Working Group and Erica Lessem as Vice Chair. The next meeting will be held in October, in the margins of the Union meeting in Liverpool in order to define the governance, working procedures and priorities of the Working Group.