News Releases

Effects on Global Fund financed programs from the decision by Ranbaxy to voluntarily withdraw products from the WHO drug prequalification process

10 November 2004

The Global Fund Board policy is explicit in emphasizing to countries that only quality-assured products be used, and one of the criteria for our funding is that products should have been found acceptable by WHO’s prequalification project.

There are approximately 95 countries with HIV/AIDS grants from the Global Fund, 40-50 of them having an ARV component. Of these, we have to date identified 10 countries that are currently using Ranbaxy products, though there may be more.

Our Fund Portfolio Managers will be working with affected countries to resolve the situation and to disseminate advice from WHO on the operational aspects of the withdrawal and a switch-over to alternate treatments where necessary.