BIG EVENT coming

Conference Research on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, challenges for the future
Brussels, 13-14 November 2008 Charlemagne building.

The European Commission – DG Research proposes a conference bringing together top scientists, policymakers & funding agencies, including significant participation from disease-endemic countries, to consider strategies for the future of poverty related infectious diseases research. The Conference will be also include an important reflection on the results obtained with FP6 and consider possible future lines of research on HIV, malaria and tuberculosis in FP7 and beyond.

More information (PDF - 15 KB)

Influenza Research:
EU FUNDED PROJECTS 2001-2007

Pandemic influenza has become a paradigm of the potential health threat that emerging infectious diseases pose to the world. Today, we could not be further from the optimism of the 1960s and 1970s, when statements like ‘the war against infectious diseases has been won’ abounded. The ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic of 1918 to 1919 remains one of the most deadly infectious diseases of all time, and the recent spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 is just the most recent example of the continued threat of emerging zoonoses. Against this background the European Commission’s Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013) has established for the first time a new dedicated activity — ‘Emerging Infectious Epidemics’ — and the Council Decision for FP7’s Specific Programme ‘Cooperation’1 explicitly mentions highly pathogenic influenza in the description of this activity.

The new mandate to build a coherent strategy in this research area is also an opportunity to take stock of past and ongoing EU-funded activities in influenza research. As with previous disease outbreaks, such as BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome), the Commission has been able to respond rapidly to the spread of bird flu and human sporadic cases of H5N1 with a EUR 28 million dedicated call for proposals, launched in late 2005. The present publication also demonstrates the longer-term track record of Framework Programme funding in this field. Read more... [8MB ]

Infectious Diseases

The global emergency caused by HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis requires new approaches to confront these three major poverty-related diseases. In response to this emergency, the European Commission provides a broad comprehensive approach in a wide range of policy areas, including trade, development and research. For research, the overall strategy is to develop new drugs, vaccines and other effective interventions through two mechanisms:

• Support of research projects of promising new candidates through pre-clinical and early human testing and;
• Establishment of a programme to support phases II and III clinical trials in Africa. The Sixth Framework Programme - FP6 (2002-2006) allocates a total of € 400 million to HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis of which 200 Million for EDCTP (European Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership

Scheme of the Research process through the different framework activities