Locals Welcome Move, Urge Government Funding for TB Treatment
By Catherine Murombedzi, Health Correspondent
The Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility (GDF) has announced a significant price reduction for medicines used to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). The price of bedaquiline, a critical drug in DR-TB treatment, has been reduced by 54% to US$90 per treatment course, down from US$194 in August 2023.
Zimbabwe has welcomed the significant price reduction of Bedaquiline.
This price reduction, combined with decreases of up to 13% for other drugs, has resulted in an all-time lowest price of US$364 per treatment course for the commonly-used 6-month BPaLM regimen. This represents a 38% decrease in price over the past two years.
The GDF estimates that these price reductions will save donors and clients US$7.1 million over a two-year period. This is enough to procure an additional 79,000 bedaquiline treatments. It is significant, considering that only 176,000 people worldwide are treated for DR-TB annually.
In addition to the price reductions, the GDF has also expanded its Diagnostics Catalog to include bedaquiline vials for drug-susceptibility testing (DST). This will enable TB laboratories to more easily test for bedaquiline resistance, a task that has been challenging for many countries.
The bedaquiline vials are available at a price of US$1.34 per test, along with other necessary products for DST.
First recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in December 2022, the GDF price for PPaLM decreased 38% in just two years. This translates to lower costs for nearly every WHO-recommended DR-TB regimen, including the BEAT-TB and end-TB regimens recommended in June 2024.
“We are going through challenging times, but in TB, we never had it the easy way, with so limited funding we had for the overall response. We go ahead and support people with TB, and these days, it is important to get great news about dropping the price of commodities.
It is, therefore, increasingly important to have sustainable initiatives like GDF that can continue to incentivize suppliers to develop and offer new TB products at the lowest possible prices,” noted Dr. Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director, Stop TB Partnership.
She said correct and optimum use of the funds was critical.
“More than ever, we will need to stretch every shilling, rupee, dinar, and the like to ensure all those in need have access to the best, life-saving TB diagnostics and treatment,” Dr. Lucica added.
Speaking in a telephone interview, Donald Rungoyi, StopTB Partnership Zimbabwe Chairman, said the lowered price came at the right time.
“The reduction of the price of Bedaquiline, a critical drug used in the treatment of TB, is a significant and positive development from the perspective of developing countries. This comes at a time when we are faced with disruptions and the uncertainties of USAID continuing to support TB programming worldwide.
“We applaud the Global Drug Facility led by Stop TB Global for its efforts in realising the need to reduce the price by 54%. From a developing world and African perspective, the price reduction from US$194 as of August last year to about US$90 this year makes Bedaquiline more accessible and affordable to a larger number of patients who need it.
“The high cost of newer TB drugs often limits their availability in these regions, which can result in poor outcomes and the spread of resistant strains of the disease. A price reduction can enable governments, international organisations, and NGOs to purchase and distribute the drug more widely, improving treatment success rates and reducing the burden of TB,” said Rungoyi.
He emphasized the need to strengthen the national control programmes by adopting newer, more effective regimens.
“Moreover, lower drug prices can help strengthen national TB control programmes and encourage the adoption of newer, more effective treatments, replacing older regimens that may be less effective or have more severe side effects. This can improve the quality of care, reduce the length of treatment, and ultimately lower the economic and social costs of TB for individuals and communities.
“In the long term, a price reduction has the potential to support broader public health goals, such as the global target to end the TB epidemic by 2030, as set by the United Nations. Overall, this price reduction is a step forward in the fight against TB, but it also highlights the ongoing need for more comprehensive strategies, including investments in healthcare infrastructure, diagnostics, and preventive measures to tackle the disease effectively,” said Ronald Rungoyi Stop TB Partnership Zimbabwe Chairman.
Dr. Donald Tobaiwa, Executive Director of Jointed Hands Welfare Organisation, echoed Rungoyi’s sentiments, stating that the price reduction is a moment to celebrate and reiterating that the government should take over drug procurement.
“This is a very positive and a moment to celebrate as it will go miles in increasing treatment success and reducing the high DRTB mortality. It comes at a time when funding is shrinking, and the call for domestic resource injection not only in the TB response but in health is needed.
“This price reduction makes it a bit better for the government to take over the procurement of medicines in the country and not wait for USG and Global Fund. To compliment this nutrition, support is needed for DRTB patients,” said Dr Tobaiwa.
Olive Mutabeni, the Executive Director for Life Empowerment Support Organisation (LESO), a Community Based Organisation, (CBO) was also pleased.
“As the community, we are requesting for the TB nutritional supplements since the medications demand food. Some patients are taking ARVs and Anti TB medication. If diagnosed late, a patient wastes away and is not able to work. Some of the patients stop the self-sustaining projects, other lose jobs, and with no backup ,they struggle to earn a living. So, as the community, we are pleading for maximum support on nutrition improvement,” said Ms Mutabeni.
The price reduction is expected to enable governments, international organisations, and NGOs to purchase and distribute the drug more widely, ultimately reducing the economic and social costs of TB for individuals and communities.
To combat TB, Zimbabwe must consider funding TB treatment and control programmes, particularly for multi-drug-resistant cases. It must strengthen the national TB control programme through the
Multi-Sectorial Accountability Framework for Tuberculosis in promoting accountability, coordination, and progress towards ending TB by 2030.
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