Unitaid is a global health initiative that is working with partners to end the world’s tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria and hepatitis C epidemics. It is an organisation that saves many lives every time a person flies out of Paris on a plane. Supported by the World health Organisation (WHO) and established by France, Brazil, Chile, Norway and the United Kingdom. Unitaid is a leading example of innovative financing. Its single main source of income is from an airline ticket tax in place in several low and high-income countries. Norway allocates part of its tax on carbon dioxide emissions from aviation to Unitaid. On the impact side Unitaid is a leading agent of market shaping and has very clear exit strategies to its investments to ensure they are sustainable following exit. Unitaid is being established as an innovative funding mechanism to accelerate access to high-quality drugs and diagnostics for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in countries with a high burden of disease.
