AFRO-NETS> Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

[Dieter Neuvians MD <neuvians@mweb.co.zw>]

Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria (2)
--------------------------------------------
http://www.GlobalFundATM.org


Source: <tdr-scientists@who.ch>
From: Carlos M. Morel
Director, TDR


Dear colleagues,

As you may know, a transitional working group is currently meeting to 
set the purpose, principles and scope of the Global Fund for AIDS, 
Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Although you may have heard little about this initiative since it be-
gan, a lively debate has recently started on the NGO 'Break The Si-
lence' website at: http://archives.hst.org.za/bts/msg00007.html. In 
particular, at http://archives.healthdev.net/bts/msg00017.html, you 
can read about what has been agreed so far as to the title, purpose, 
principles and scope of the fund, and can join in the debate.

 From the TDR perspective, it is surprising to see that the role of 
research appears to have been left out entirely. TDR has both tuber-
culosis and malaria in its portfolio, and research on these diseases, 
as you are well aware, costs money.

Increasingly, the international and national debate is addressing the 
problem of these diseases, and how they seriously impede social and 
economic development in many countries, especially those most in need 
of this very sort of development. Often, the debate focuses on making 
existing tools more accessible to populations in need. While I fully 
agree with this objective, I feel that the role of research should be 
more visible in the debate.

Most control tools in current use emanated from the hands of re-
searchers five, ten, twenty years ago. To sustain control of infec-
tious diseases, however, we need researchers to continue to produce 
new tools and improve existing ones.

I encourage you to get involved in the debate. Not only through the 
above website, but also locally, nationally, and directly in your in-
teractions with decision-makers and colleagues in the field.

The decisions about the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and 
Malaria are being made now. It would be a scandal if research were 
not part of its financing from the beginning.

Thanking you in advance,

Carlos M. Morel
Director, TDR
World Health Organization, Room L272
20 Avenue Appia
1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Tel: +41-22-791-3802 or 791-3906
Fax: +41-22-791-4854
mailto:morelc@who.int
http://www.who.int/tdr

--
Send mail for the `AFRO-NETS' conference to `<afro-nets@usa.healthnet.org>'.
Mail administrative requests to `<majordomo@usa.healthnet.org>'.
For additional assistance, send mail to:  `<owner-afro-nets@usa.healthnet.org>'.