Research priorities for zoonoses and marginalized infections

This report provides a review and analysis of the research landscape for zoonoses and marginalized infections which affect poor populations, and a list of research priorities to support disease control. The work is the output of the Disease Reference Group on Zoonoses and Marginalized Infectious Diseases of Poverty (DRG6), which is part of an independent think tank of international experts, established and funded by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), to identify key research priorities through review of research evidence and input from stakeholder consultations. The report covers a diverse range of diseases, including zoonotic helminth, protozoan, viral and bacterial infections considered to be neglected and associated with poverty. Disease-specific research issues are elaborated under individual disease sections and many common priorities are identified among the diseases such as the need for new and/or improved drugs and regimens, diagnostics and, where appropriate, vaccines. The disease-specific priorities are described as micro priorities compared with the macro level priorities which will drive policy-making for: improved surveillance; interaction between the health, livestock, agriculture, natural resources and wildlife sectors in tackling zoonotic diseases; and true assessment of the burden of zoonoses. This is one often disease and thematic reference group reports that have come out of the TDR Think Tank, all of which have contributed to the development of the Global Report search on Infectious Diseases of Poverty, available at: w.who.int/tdr/stewardship/global_report/en/index.html.