22 July 2021, Geneva, Switzerland. The Stop TB Partnership’s TB REACH initiative is excited to announce the approval of 11 new projects selected for funding to address inequities in drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Accelerator to End TB, which helps countries reach targets and commitments set at the UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
With generous funding support from USAID and Global Affairs Canada, TB REACH is awarding USD 6.14 million to help reduce initial or pre-treatment loss to follow up for people with DR-TB, use innovative approaches to expand access to new, all-oral treatment regimens, and improve treatment adherence and outcomes for people with DR-TB.
The Wave 9 call for proposals was launched in January 2021 and received almost 300 applications from 24 countries with a total funding request of USD 145 million. All completed submissions were reviewed by an independent Proposal Review Committee (PRC), who selected 48 applicants to be invited to submit a more in-depth stage 2 proposal. These applications underwent another round of diligent review by the PRC. After an 8-day review meeting, the PRC selected the top applications until the funding ceiling was reached; overall, 11 proposals from 8 countries were recommended for funding.
Wave 9 grantees will help get children and adults onto newer, shorter all-oral regimens; introduce new rapid molecular tests to detect second-line drug resistance; and bring more services for DR-TB to internally displaced people, rural communities, and people with low access to care.
TB REACH would like to thank all applicants for their continued support and interest in the initiative.
