At Salud por Derecho, we are working, along with other European colleagues, to ensure that the new European research framework program, Horizon 2020, which will be in effect from 2014 to 2020, contains more European investment dedicated to poverty-related diseases. We desire more economic resources dedicated to research for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other neglected tropical illnesses such as sleeping sickness.
At this time, the format and budget of this framework program is being debated in Brussels as well as in other European capitals. The European Commission’s draft proposal sets forth a budget increase of more than 40% in comparison to the budget of the 7th Framework Program, which is currently in effect and which has designated a minimal amount to this type of research. However, in the current draft these types of diseases are not mentioned at all despite their impact on global health and the millions of deaths which they cause, the majority of them being preventable with access to new biomedical products. Therefore, we believe that there is a great need and sufficient margin available in order to dedicate part of the increase in R+D resources for poverty-related and neglected diseases.
To achieve this goal, we have to ensure that this type of research becomes an advocacy priority for our politicians, but we have to do it now. With this objective in mind, we have elaborated a brief position paper in which we address the principle arguments regarding why the EU should support this type of investment and we include a series of concrete petitions that we hope receive the widest amount of support possible.
We have already sought the support of more than 30 European organizations, but we are also seeking the support of institutions and researchers to encourage the European governments to defend this vision.
The document has already been circulated among European parliamentarians but we will also deliver it to other European governments in the coming days as it is at this time that governments are defining their positions regarding this new framework program.
If you would like to support the document, send us your contact details at saludporderecho@saludporderecho.org
More than 30 organizations demand that the new European Research Framework Program, Horizon 2020, prioritizes R+D for poverty related diseases
