The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development was inaugurated at the International Conference on Health Research for Development.
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General of the World Health Organization, gave the keynote address calling the TB Alliance "a shining example of public and private sector partnerships to bridge the gap between market opportunities and people’s needs."
She also stated, "We owe it to the populations that suffer from TB to improve the quality and efficacy of drugs. In this context, [the TB Alliance] is much more than a scientific venture: it is a direct attack on poverty and the disparities between rich and poor."