Gilead and WHO Extend Fight Against Deadly Parasitic Disease with $9.2M Commitment

Event summary

  • Gilead Sciences and WHO renewed a five-year collaboration to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL), committing $9.2M and 400,000 vials of AmBisome through 2030.
  • The focus will be on high-burden countries in East Africa, expanding support to Chad and Djibouti.
  • Gilead’s donations will support countries representing 74% of the global VL burden, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and India.
  • The partnership has already reduced VL cases by over 95% in Southeast Asia since 2005, with Bangladesh achieving elimination in 2023.

The big picture

Gilead’s renewed collaboration with WHO underscores the growing emphasis on eliminating neglected tropical diseases through public-private partnerships. The $9.2M commitment reflects a strategic shift toward East Africa, where VL remains a significant public health challenge. This follows Bangladesh’s 2023 milestone of eliminating VL as a public health problem, demonstrating the potential impact of sustained investment in disease eradication.

What we're watching

Execution Risk
Whether Gilead can sustain the pace of VL elimination in East Africa given the region's higher disease burden and logistical challenges.
Regulatory Dynamics
How WHO’s validation of VL elimination in Bangladesh will influence funding and policy priorities for other high-burden countries.
Strategic Alignment
The extent to which Gilead’s $32B U.S. investment will support its global health equity goals, including neglected tropical diseases.

Related topics

Partnership