The Global Fund has today revealed an agreement with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to substantially reduce the cost of an advanced HIV medication, a step it believed would save lives.

Established in 2002 to combat AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, the Global Fund revealed that this arrangement would enable them to provide the advanced tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine and dolutegravir (TLD pill) for less than $45 (KSH 6,543) per individual annually.

“This enhanced pricing – a 25-percent decrease – will empower governments in regions with limited resources to broaden access to essential HIV services,” the statement read.

Recommended by the World Health Organization as the favoured primary HIV treatment for adults and adolescents.

TLD pills swiftly suppress the virus causing AIDS, present fewer side effects, and are user-friendly, as noted in the statement.

Peter Sands, Chief of the Global Fund, highlighted the significant fiscal constraints faced by the most HIV-affected countries, emphasizing the millions of HIV-positive individuals who still lack access to quality treatment.

“Lowered TLD pricing permits governments and other recipients of Global Fund grants to expand treatment initiatives and allocate more resources to prevention, thus saving lives and curbing new infections,” he stated.

This announcement follows a 2017 collaboration among the Global Fund, UNAIDS, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other partners, securing licensing agreements for TLD availability in low- and middle-income countries at an unprecedented price level of up to $75 (ksh10,905) per person per year.

As a result of this arrangement, around 19 million more people residing in resource-constrained environments and living with HIV currently receive TLD, according to the Clinton Health Access Initiative