The 2 contracts that won the most tuberculosis funding in 2020
TB is curable and preventable, yet millions of people are infected annually. Devex looks at the biggest TB prevention and treatment contracts awarded through competitive bidding last year.
Tuberculosis is curable and preventable. However, each year, millions of people worldwide get infected. In 2019, 1.4 million individuals, including 208,000 with HIV, died from the disease. As COVID-19 cases rose, there was a decline in the diagnosis and treatment of TB: in 2020, a staggering 1 million people undiagnosed and untreated from 23 high-risk countries. In India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, which account for 44% of global TB cases, detection fell by 25% to 30%. The World Health Organization also estimated that 1.8 million could die from TB in 2020, as lockdowns caused a dip in detection. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 is to end epidemics such as TB by 2030, and WHO aims for an 80% reduction in the TB incidence rate by the same year. But the pandemic poses a threat to the decade-long efforts of eradicating TB. A lesson from the pandemic is the importance of investing in diagnostics and health overall. In 2020, the funding for detection, treatment, and prevention of TB was $6.5 billion, half of the 2022 annual goal of $13 billion. When it comes to TB funding, direct contributions or grants to multilaterals, implementing organizations, or research centers are usually predominant. Examples of such direct contributions include a $15 million contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from The Rockefeller Foundation; and a $9 million matching funds to Comic Relief and to support The Global Fund, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, were made last year. Though competitive bidding might not be the main channel to disburse TB funding, a few TB funding opportunities open to competition exist. Devex continuously publishes such funding opportunities, tracks contract awards, and reports on TB news. This article looks into the biggest TB prevention and treatment contracts awarded through competitive bidding in 2020. The contracts were awarded under the U.S. government-funded programs and amount to more than $100 million. Local Organizations Networks To Fight Tuberculosis Awarded value: $45 million Donor: U.S. Agency for International Development Project location: Nigeria Awardees: KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation and Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria Contract description: USAID awarded a total of $45 million to establish local organization networks to improve TB case detection and treatment in the three regions covering 18 states in Nigeria until 2025. The Local Organizations Networks program is a key component of USAID’s investments in TB. The objective is to empower local organizations to implement solutions that would improve the country’s TB response. Up to $300 million umbrella funding for this program and new opportunities in priority countries are being announced regularly. Local organizations in priority countries need to submit concept notes to qualify as partners. The LON-related contract in 2020 was awarded to two organizations: KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation Nigeria with $30 million to implement the local organizations’ network in 14 states in regions one and two; and IHVN, which will cover four states in region three with $15 million. KNCV is a Dutch medical development and TB control non-profit organization that works closely with local government and communities across Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. The organization has been present in Nigeria for over 20 years, implementing community-based projects that range from TB diagnostic, treatment services, and control infection transmission. KNCV has been a key TB partner for USAID, being the lead partner of the concluded Challenge TB project and their previous TB control projects. IHVN is an affiliate of the Institute of Human Virology of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. It primarily focuses on addressing HIV/AIDS in Nigeria through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief funds. It has also expanded to address other infectious diseases, such as TB and malaria. Recently, IHVN, together with six other organizations, will implement a $900 million Global Fund grant between 2021-2023 to support the battle against HIV, TB, and malaria in Nigeria. Tuberculosis Trials Consortium Services Awarded value: $61 million Donor: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention Project location: Uganda, Benin, South Africa, Haiti, and the U.S. Awardees for the 6 contracts: Case Western Reserve University, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, King County, Medical University of South Carolina, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Denver Health. Contract description: DHHS, through CDC, awarded a total of $61 million to six North American universities and research institutions under the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium Services. The funding is to support clinical trials and research on the treatment and prevention of latent TB cases in the U.S. and studies of active TB disease in affected countries. Four of these research projects are being implemented outside the U.S. Case Western Reserve University, based in Cleveland, Ohio, got the highest funding with 28% — or $17.2 million — of the total $61 million to implement the project in Uganda. The university established a Tuberculosis Research Unit that focuses on TB research, diagnostics, prevention, and drug treatment, thanks to funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Most of the research institute’s research funding is from NIAD, Fogarty International Center, CDC, Gates Foundation, and FHI 360. The second-highest contract at $13.5 million was awarded to the RI-MUHC to implement the project in Benin. The Medical University of South Carolina was awarded $9.9 million for a project in South Africa, while the Weill Cornell Medicine got $6.1 million for TB trial services in Haiti. The remaining two research awards will be implemented in the U.S. They were awarded to Colorado’s health care institution, Denver Health, amounting to $3.76 million, and Washington’s King County with $10.7 million. Smaller awards in relation to TB were also awarded in 2020. An example is the $2.7 million World Bank contract for TB diagnostics in Papua New Guinea implemented by World Vision Australia. For access to in-depth analysis, insights, and funding opportunities from over 850 sources — combined with Devex Pro news content — sign up for a Pro Funding subscription online today or get in touch to learn about our Pro Funding group options.
Tuberculosis is curable and preventable. However, each year, millions of people worldwide get infected. In 2019, 1.4 million individuals, including 208,000 with HIV, died from the disease.
As COVID-19 cases rose, there was a decline in the diagnosis and treatment of TB: in 2020, a staggering 1 million people undiagnosed and untreated from 23 high-risk countries. In India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, which account for 44% of global TB cases, detection fell by 25% to 30%. The World Health Organization also estimated that 1.8 million could die from TB in 2020, as lockdowns caused a dip in detection.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 is to end epidemics such as TB by 2030, and WHO aims for an 80% reduction in the TB incidence rate by the same year. But the pandemic poses a threat to the decade-long efforts of eradicating TB.
This story is forDevex Promembers
Unlock this story now with a 15-day free trial of Devex Pro.
With a Devex Pro subscription you'll get access to deeper analysis and exclusive insights from our reporters and analysts.
Start my free trialRequest a group subscription Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
Janadale Leene Coralde works as a contributing analyst for Devex. Based in Manila she reports on development donors activities and designs funding data visualisations. She has a degree in political economy, specializing in international relations and development, and has previously worked as a researcher for Chemonics, the REID foundation, and the Philippines House of Representatives.
Miguel Tamonan is a Senior Development Analyst at Devex, where he analyzes data from public and private donors to produce content and special reports for Pro and Pro Funding readers. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a Major in International Relations from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
