Major and Neglected Diseases in Developing Countries Report

The burden of disease in the developing world claims thousands of lives each year and holds back poverty reduction and development efforts.

The Commission published a Communication explaining its policy framework for external action on the three big killer diseases: HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB. This was followed by a Programme for Action, 2007-11.

John Bowis authored the report for the Development Committee of the European Parliament, commenting on these Commission documents, but also taking forward to work of the European Parliament to put Neglected Diseases on the Commission's development agenda.

Diseases such as sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and other tropical diseases are neglected - in terms of R&D and finding and delivering effective treatments and programmes, partly because these are diseases that have no significant direct impact on developed world countries.