Conference 'Tuberculosis - a challenge for the EU: innovate, collaborate, eliminate!'
Every year more than 9 million people fall ill with tuberculosis - about 2 million people die of it. For decades tuberculosis was only a problem in the poorest countries. But it returned - along with HIV/AIDS - also to those countries who believed that they had the disease under control. Today most people suffering from HIV/AIDS die of tuberculosis. The HIV/AIDS pandemic in Eastern European countries also brought tuberculosis back to Europe.
On March 16, the conference “Tuberculosis - a challenge for the EU: innovate, collaborate, eliminate!” will be held in the European Parliament to raise awareness of the fact that tuberculosis is a re-emerging threat. Political will and leadership, suitable measures in the fight against TB and HIV/AIDS as well as sufficient funding are necessary to be successful in this attempt.
Topics to be discussed are:
- What is the current status of drug and vaccine development in tuberculosis?
- What is being done to promote access to existing drugs to fight tuberculosis?
- What additional measures can EU policy take in the fight against tuberculosis?
Dr. Joris Vandeputte, TBVI's senior vice president advocacy and resource mobilization, and Prof. Dr. Stefan Kaufmann, member of TBVI's Steering Committee, will be speakers at this conference (see agenda).
The conference is hosted by Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, MEP, and organized by vfa, the German association of research-based pharmaceutical companies. It will take place 16 March 2010 from 18:00 - 20:00 h in the European Parliament, Brussels, Room PHS P5B001.
For further details and registration, please reply no later than 8 March to d.tummoscheit(at)vfa.de.
Contact
Ms. Erna Balk
Director Communications & Advocacy Relations
+31 320 277 552
erna.balk(at)tbvi.eu