TDR: For research on diseases of poverty

What TDR: For research on diseases of poverty does

TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, is a global programme of scientific collaboration established in 1974 and hosted at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It is co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, the World Bank, and WHO, and operates with a lean staff of approximately 25-30 people distributed across units covering Research for Implementation, Research Capacity Strengthening, Programme Innovation and Management, and Global Engagement. The programme serves low- and middle-income countries affected by infectious diseases of poverty—primarily malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and vector-borne diseases—by funding implementation research, building national research capacity, and translating evidence into public health practice. Its core products include EWARS-csd (a web-based predictive dashboard for dengue and climate-sensitive disease outbreaks with a 12-week prediction horizon, deployed in 17 countries), the SORT IT operational research training programme, MOOCs and IR toolkits, the TDR Impact Research Grants Scheme, the Global Health Matters podcast, and operational guides such as the dengue dashboard guide and the Intersectional Gender Analysis Toolkit. Distribution is conducted through WHO's six regional offices, the WHO Publications Portal (IRIS), the eTDR grants portal, and partner networks including IAEA, U.S. CDC, IDRC, and IRI at Columbia University.

TDR's business model is that of a publicly funded, donor-supported research and capacity-building programme rather than a commercial enterprise. It generates no product or service revenue; all research outputs, training resources, and tools are made freely available. Funding flows from its four institutional co-sponsors (UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank, WHO) and additional donor contributions, with governance oversight by a Joint Coordinating Board and scientific direction from a Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: TDR engages WHO regional offices, national research institutions, and ministries of health to embed tools (e.g., EWARS-csd in Mexico's national surveillance system), runs fellowship and training cohorts (SORT IT, Clinical Research Leadership, postgraduate schemes), and convenes scientific workshops (e.g., the Tahiti SIT workshop with scientists from 18 countries). Customer segments are national governments and their public health agencies in LMICs, individual researchers and scientists benefiting from grants and fellowships, and research institutions receiving capacity-strengthening support. The 2024-2029 strategy explicitly organizes the programme around four global health challenges—epidemics and outbreaks, control and elimination of diseases of poverty, resistance to treatment and control agents, and climate change's impact on health—using a One Health approach.

Name

TDR: For research on diseases of poverty

Legal name

WHO (World Health Organization)

Website

https://tdr.who.int

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TDR is a WHO Special Programme, co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, the World Bank, and WHO, that funds implementation research and builds research capacity in low- and middle-income countries to combat infectious diseases of poverty, including malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and vector-borne diseases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global health research and training

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM), Disease-Specific Global Programs (HIV/TB/Malaria/NTDs) (HLAJAKAF), Disease-Specific Global Initiatives (HIV/TB/Malaria/NTDs) (HLAJAOAE)

Keywords

• Implementation research training
• Disease outbreak surveillance
• Research capacity building
• Tropical disease research
• Global health programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Co-sponsored Programme Funding: TDR is co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank and WHO, which provide core funding for the programme's operations and research activities.
2. Donor Contributions: The programme receives contributions from donors as part of the Our donors initiative to support research and training activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TDR is a global programme of scientific collaboration co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank and WHO that funds and conducts implementation research on infectious diseases of poverty (malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, vector-borne diseases) and builds research capacity in low- and middle-income countries. Its offerings span implementation research training, fellowships and grants, operational guides and methodological toolkits, the EWARS-csd climate-sensitive disease early warning system, and the Global Health Matters knowledge-dissemination podcast. All outputs are made freely available to advance global health.

Product overview

TDR (Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases) is a global scientific collaboration programme co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank, and WHO. It is not a commercial product company but rather a research and capacity-building initiative focused on diseases of poverty. The core offerings include: EWARS-csd (a predictive analytics early warning system for climate-sensitive diseases like dengue), the Global Health Matters podcast for knowledge dissemination, implementation research training via MOOCs and the SORT IT programme, and the TDR Impact Research Grants scheme. TDR also produces operational guides, toolkits (including intersectional gender analysis and implementation research), and strategic frameworks. The EWARS-csd system is the primary technology product, while the research training resources and grants represent capacity-building services. These offerings work together to support evidence generation and translation into health solutions for populations suffering from infectious diseases of poverty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EWARS-csd (Early Warning and Response System for climate-sensitive diseases) A web-based surveillance tool designed to predict dengue outbreaks approximately 12 weeks in advance by integrating climate, weather, and epidemiological data, enabling countries to implement preventive measures before outbreaks occur. Designed for national disease surveillance systems in disease-affected countries.
• Global Health Matters podcast A podcast series exploring how innovative and inspiring research contributes to achieving health for all, featuring discussions with global health researchers and policy leaders. Audience: global health research community, policymakers, and the broader public.
• MOOC on Implementation Research A free online course for researchers, decision-makers, and health programme managers focusing on how to design and demonstrate robust implementation research projects to improve control of infectious diseases of poverty. Audience: researchers, health programme managers, and decision-makers in LMICs.
• SORT IT (Structured Operational Research and Training) An operational research and training initiative that works with countries to conduct research that informs policy and practice for diseases of poverty, delivering courses and embedding research within national disease programmes. Audience: national disease programme staff and researchers in disease-affected countries.
• Research Training Resources A suite of implementation research training materials including the IR toolkit, MOOCs, and resources for building research capacity in disease-affected countries. Audience: researchers and capacity-strengthening partners.
• TDR Impact Research Grants Scheme A grant programme supporting implementation research that helps build national strategies and action plans for better control and treatment of infectious diseases of poverty. Audience: researchers and institutions in disease-affected countries.
• Operational Guide for EWARS Dengue Dashboard A programme managers' guide providing user-friendly tools to analyze dengue data, identify alarm indicators for outbreak prediction, and build early warning systems for real-time detection and response. Audience: national and subnational disease surveillance programme managers.
• Designathon Guide for Health A practical guide on designathons — three-stage participatory activities informed by design thinking that include preparation with end-users, intensive collaboration, and follow-up implementation and research. Audience: health researchers and programme implementers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 248 million people protected from yellow fever via vaccination campaigns since 2017
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration on Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) research initiative to trial innovative solutions for dengue control. IAEA provides expertise in insect sterilization using x-rays and guidance framework development.
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership in global research initiative on SIT for Aedes mosquitoes with financial support and technical expertise for field trials in French Polynesia.
• Institut Louis Malardé, TahitiflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Leading research consortium testing SIT for dengue control in French Polynesia, Cook Islands, and Easter Island. Preparing to release sterilized male mosquitoes to measure impact on dengue transmission.
• University of GothenburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Collaborated with TDR in 2012 to design and test the Early Warning and Response System for climate-sensitive diseases (EWARS-csd).
• University of FreiburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Collaborated with TDR in 2012 to design and test the EWARS-csd system, providing IT expertise and stakeholder engagement.
• UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs co-sponsor, UNICEF works with TDR on common approaches to children affected by poverty-related diseases, such as tuberculosis. UNICEF also collaborates on the EYE Strategy for yellow fever elimination.
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs co-sponsor, UNDP works with TDR to increase access to new products by engaging various stakeholders in countries and strengthening national capacities.
• World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs co-sponsor, the World Bank's agenda of increased health system resilience provides opportunities for collaboration on implementation issues specific to country needs.
• WHO (World Health Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs host organization and co-sponsor, WHO provides the institutional base for TDR. TDR works closely with many WHO departments, research programmes, and hosted partnerships in Geneva and six regional offices.
• WHO Global NTD ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on neglected tropical diseases research, arboviral diseases, and yellow fever elimination activities including EYE Strategy implementation.
• ESSENCE on Health ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTDR serves as Head of Secretariat for the ESSENCE initiative, which brings together research funders to coordinate and enhance health research investments.
• Social Innovation in Health InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to identify, study, and promote social innovations that improve health service delivery and strengthen health systems in low- and middle-income countries.
• The Access and Delivery PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to support access to and delivery of health technologies for infectious diseases of poverty in low- and middle-income countries.
• SORT IT (Structured Operational Research and Training)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering operational research and training courses to build capacity in disease-affected countries for conducting and using implementation research.
• TDR GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity of passionate scientists and experts including TDR grantees, researchers, staff, sponsors and supporters who catalyze local collaborative actions for research on infectious diseases of poverty.
• EYE Strategy (Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal coalition of 50 partners in 40 countries including WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi. TDR supports root cause analysis of yellow fever resurgence and outbreak response in high-risk African countries.
• IDRC Canada (International Development Research Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on TDR/IDRC Research Initiative on VBDs and Climate focusing on population health vulnerabilities to vector-borne diseases under climate change conditions in Africa.
• International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) at Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop research tools and networks for using climate services in health decision-making, particularly for vector-borne disease early warning systems.
• WHO Climate Change and Health UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on climate change and health initiatives, including supporting countries for piloting and implementing EWARS-csd for climate-sensitive diseases.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Health Organization (WHO): WHO is TDR's host and co-sponsor, setting global health norms, conducting surveillance, and convening member states. It is broadly comparable as a multilateral health agency with overlapping disease and country mandates, though TDR operates as a focused research arm within the WHO ecosystem.
• UNICEF: UNICEF is a TDR co-sponsor with parallel programmes on child health, immunisation, and disease control in LMICs. It shares geographic footprint and many of the same disease priorities (malaria, TB, yellow fever), making it an institutional peer with overlapping operational scope.
• Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: The Global Fund is the largest multilateral financier of HIV, TB, and malaria programmes. It shares TDR's disease focus and LMIC orientation, operates at materially larger scale, and is a co-implementer on many of TDR-supported country initiatives.
• Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: Gavi co-funds and co-implements the EYE yellow fever strategy and the malaria vaccine pilot with TDR. It is comparable as a multi-donor vaccine-focused initiative with strong LMIC implementation networks and overlapping country partnerships.
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): CDC is a flagship partner of TDR on SIT research and broader infectious disease work. It is comparable as a government public health agency with global health programmes, surveillance capability, and a similar disease portfolio in LMICs.
• World Bank: The World Bank is a TDR co-sponsor and major financier of health system resilience and disease programmes in LMICs. It is comparable as a multilateral institution with overlapping health priorities, country engagement, and convening authority.

Direct peers

• Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi): DNDi is a Geneva-based product development partnership focused on neglected tropical diseases and other poverty-related illnesses. Like TDR, it bridges research, capacity strengthening, and LMIC access — making it the closest direct peer in mandate, geography, and funding model.
• PATH: PATH is a global health non-profit that develops and delivers health solutions across vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and service delivery in LMICs. It is directly comparable as a multi-disease research-to-implementation organisation with deep country presence and a similar donor-funded model.

Emerging players

• Wellcome Trust: Wellcome is a major independent global health research funder supporting infectious disease, climate-health, and research capacity work. It is comparable as a charitable research funder operating in overlapping disease areas and increasingly co-funding TDR-relevant initiatives.
• Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND): FIND is a Geneva-based product development partnership focused on diagnostics for poverty-related diseases. It is comparable as a specialised, donor-funded organisation working on TB, malaria, NTDs, and outbreak response with implementation research components in LMICs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TDRnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/special-programme-for-research-and-training-in-tropical-diseases-tdr-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about TDR: For research on diseases of poverty