Immunity against HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis during co-infections with neglected infectious diseases: recommendations for the European Union research priorities.
Infectious diseases remain a major health and socioeconomic problem in many low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. For many years, the three most devastating diseases, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis (TB) have received most of the world's attention. However, in rural and impoverished urban areas, a number of infectious diseases remain neglected and cause massive suffering. It has been calculated that a group of 13 neglected infectious diseases affects over one billion people, corresponding to a sixth of the world's population. These diseases include infections with different types of worms and parasites, cholera, and sleeping sickness, and can cause significant mortality and severe disabilities in low-income countries. For most of these diseases, vaccines are either not available, poorly effective, or too expensive. Moreover, these neglected diseases often occur in individuals who are also affected by HIV/AIDS, malaria, or TB, making the problem even more serious and indicating that co-infections are the rule rather than the exception in many geographical areas. To address the importance of combating co-infections, scientists from 14 different countries in Africa and Europe met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on September 9-11, 2007. The message coming from these scientists is that the only possibility for winning the fight against infections in low-income countries is by studying, in the most global way possible, the complex interaction between different infections and conditions of malnourishment. The new scientific and technical tools of the post-genomic era can allow us to reach this goal. However, a concomitant effort in improving education and social conditions will be needed to make the scientific findings effective.
Boraschi
Diana
D
CNR, Pisa, Italy.
Abebe Alemayehu
Markos
M
Aseffa
Abraham
A
Chiodi
Francesca
F
Chisi
John
J
Del Prete
Gianfranco
G
Doherty
T Mark
TM
Elhassan
Ibrahim
I
Engers
Howard
H
Gyan
Ben
B
Harandi
Ali M
AM
Kariuki
Thomas
T
Kironde
Fred
F
Kouriba
Bourema
B
Langhorne
Jean
J
Laskay
Tamás
T
Medaglini
Donata
D
Olesen
Ole
O
Onyebujoh
Philip
P
Palma
Carla
C
Sauerwein
Robert
R
Sibanda
Elopy
E
Steinhoff
Ulrich
U
Tagliabue
Aldo
A
Thiel
Andreas
A
Vahedi
Mahnaz
M
Troye-Blomberg
Marita
M
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D005062:European Union; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D012106:Research / Q000592:standards*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology