Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, is a global programme of scientific collaboration that helps facilitate, support and influence efforts to combat diseases of poverty. It is co-sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO). OUR VISION “The health and well-being of people burdened by infectious diseases of poverty is improved through research and innovation.” OUR MISSION “To support effective and innovative global health research, through strengthening the research capacity of disease-affected countries, and promoting the translation of evidence into interventions that reduce the burden of infectious diseases and build resilience in the most vulnerable populations.” As a Special Programme based at WHO headquarters, we work closely with many WHO departments, research programmes and hosted partnerships in Geneva and in the six regional offices. This strong connection helps us to coordinate our work and connect directly with WHO actions that improve health on the ground. Relationships with our other co-sponsors UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank are also critical to our success, particularly in optimizing our contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. For example, we work with UNICEF on common approaches to children affected by poverty-related diseases, such as tuberculosis; with UNDP, we work to increase access to new products by engaging various stakeholders in countries and strengthening national capacities; and the World Bank’s agenda of increased health system resilience provides an opportunity for us to work together on implementation issues specific to country needs.