Unitaid has issued a call for proposals to fund innovative projects that would combat the drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis, and has announced progress in development of a new anti-malaria insecticide against mosquitoes.

More background on the drug-resistant TB is available here (IPW, Health & IP, 29 January 2018).

According to a statement, Unitaid is seeking projects to help to expand access to targeted gene sequencing, a technique that helps to find genetic mutations in TB bacteria linked to drug resistance. The funding would also cover proposals that focus on enhancing the use of quality-assured drugs for the treatment of drug-resistant TB and those that demonstrate how technologies can be used to enable patients to complete treatment.

Unitaid also announced in a press release a new development in Ghana’s efforts end malaria by by fighting insecticide resistance of mosquitoes. A new insecticide was introduced called SumiShield 50WG, an indoor residual spraying insecticide developed by Sumitomo Chemical Company with support from Innovative Vector Control Consortium. SumiShield 50WG, the release says, comes with a new mode of action as it “contains the first new chemistry in 40 years to be recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for indoor residual spraying.”

Support from Unitaid has made it possible for new indoor residual spray formulas to be introduced into different countries’ malaria control programmes thereby replacing older insecticides to which mosquitoes have become resistant.

Damilola Adepeju is an intern at Intellectual Property Watch.