Ministerial and Other Meetings
G7/8 Science Ministers

Annex 3:
G7 Working Group Neglected Tropical Diseases and Poverty Related Diseases (NTD-PRD)

Turin, Italy, September 28, 2017
[PDF]

Executive Summary

In the follow-up of the G7 consultations in Elmau 2015 the G7 Science Ministers decided to initiate a G7 working group on Neglected Tropical Diseases and Poverty Related Diseases (NTD-PRD). Concrete areas of action for the working group were agreed on at the G7 Science and Technology Ministers' meeting in Tsukuba from 15-17 May 2016, where G7 Countries decided to:

Work on R&D mapping activities on NTDs and PRDs as a basis for facilitating coordination and sharing information and data;
Make freely available and accessible to the public information and data on relevant publicly funded research on NTDs and PRDs;
Enhance interoperability of relevant data and information on R&D activity; and
Maintain the group as a future Working Group to advance G7 action in this domain, e.g. by examining ways to support capacity building for R&D in endemic countries.

The G7 working group on NTDs and PRDs focused in particular on how to improve R&D mapping, options for coordination of current R&D activities and on possibilities for future joint or complementary actions.

The working group has been jointly chaired by the European Commission and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. An overview of the follow-up activities since the G7 consultations in Elmau 2015 is given below:

27-28 January 2016, Brussels: technical meeting in preparation of the March workshop in Berlin
23 March 2016, Berlin: workshop of the science ministers definition of tangible and sustainable next steps to be approved by the G7 science ministers in Tsukuba
15-17 May 2016, Tsukuba: approval of actions related to NTDs and PRDs in the Tsukuba Communiqué́ and Annex 1 to the Tsukuba Communiqué́.
19 October 2016, Berlin: meeting of the G7 working group on NTDs and PRDs to initiate the discussions on mapping of R&D activities among the G7 countries, coordination of activities and possible joint actions
23 February 2017, VC: technical workshop on the interoperability of databases to identify tangible next actions towards interoperability
1 March 2017, Brussels: continuation of the previous discussions and the technical workshop on interoperability, focus on possible joint actions

The G7 working group has actively promoted the dialogue between the three databases G-Finder, WorldReport and the WHO Global Observatory that monitor nationally funded R&D activities on NTDs and PRDs.

Together with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Welcome Trust, the G7 group proposes to evaluate the possibility of launching a pilot project on data extraction as a next step towards the interoperability of these databases. To prepare this pilot project, a survey will be conducted among the members of the G7 working group, the BMGF, Welcome Trust and the three databases in order to define a set of variables for the pilot project. Then, the pilot project would provide a starting point to see how accurate the information obtained by current data extraction protocols is and where the current gaps are. The members of the working group will validate the results of the data extraction pilot.

The G7 group suggests the set-up of an overarching, light structure in the sense of a network of networks. This network could, for example, be set up for specific diseases and promote the exchange of experiences, access to experts, and the sharing of information existing and future R&D funding mechanisms among the G7 countries. Step 1: In a first step, different, desired elements (composition and structure) of a network of networks, including training programs will be identified. These elements shall be checked across existing academic and government networks, to see where gaps and needs for networking are. This preliminary work would not require funding of any specific element.

Step 2: Based on the elements identified from step 1, the network of networks would be set up.

The G7 group proposes to focus on existing, multilateral funding mechanisms for possible future joint or complementary actions. The Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD) could be an interesting platform covering operational research. The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) could be considered as instrument for the joint funding of late stage expensive clinical trials. Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) also provide a platform for development of new products for NTDs/PRDs.

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Source: Official website of the 2017 Italian G7 Presidency

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