UNITAID, hosted and administered by the World Health Organisation, is currently involved in funding global health projects and helps increase testing and treatment coverage for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. The organisation is largely funded by a levy on air tickets.
UNITAID executive director Denis Broun, who is on a visit to the country, said they are trying to impress upon the Indian government to impose a small tax of Rs 20 on domestic economy air tickets.
"We are trying to convince India to become a member of UNITAID...The idea is trying to raise resources for better changing the market conditions for people...For getting quality products (medicines) at lowest possible prices," he said.
Broun has also met Civil Aviation Ministry officials and discussed the proposal and sought help from Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for pushing the innovative health financing plan.
Broun said India being a major source of medicine supply for UNITAID, which procures 80 per cent of its medicines for WHO supplies to poor nations, will benefit through reinvestment of the aid collected.
"This is something that in the present set of the markets would benefit Indian companies. Whatever money the Indian government would collect from this tax would get reinvested into the Indian pharma sector from where we do most of our resourcing," he said.
"Also, at least 35,000 Indian children are on treatment with pediatric drugs financed by UNITAID," he said.
Admitting that the airline industry was not doing well in the country, Broun said imposition of a tiny levy would not affect the industry's profitability as passengers would not mind spending Rs 20 which would go in helping save lives in poor nations.
