Making a difference : 30 years of research and capacity building in tropical diseases

TDR was formed in an era of growing awareness of our world’s interdependence. The programme came of age as social and economic development to bridge the gap between rich and poor countries became a mainstream UN endeavour. It has matured at the turn of the millennium, as the global community increasingly recognizes our continued vulnerability to infectious diseases of all kinds — from TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS to lesser known diseases such as dengue, schistosomiasis and sleeping sickness. Yet there is also heightened potential for scientific research — harnessed to new technologies and innovative public–private partnerships and networks — to reduce this vulnerability in disease-endemic countries.