PAHO and TDR Launch Regional Call to Accelerate the Elimination of Communicable Diseases in the Americas

Washington, D.C., July 9, 2026 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) have announced the launch of a regional call for proposals to fund operational research projects aimed at strengthening efforts to eliminate communicable diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiative is part of the 2026-2027 Joint PAHO/TDR Impact Grants for Regional Priorities and seeks to generate evidence that can help improve public health policies, interventions, and services across the Region.

The call is open to researchers and institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean interested in developing studies that provide innovative and practical solutions to some of the Region's most pressing public health challenges.

Proposals must focus on one of the following priority areas:

• Tuberculosis, with an emphasis on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and mortality reduction.
• Opportunistic infections associated with advanced HIV disease, including histoplasmosis, cryptococcal meningitis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and schistosomiasis.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) applications to optimize healthcare delivery, patient follow-up, disease surveillance, and decision-making related to tuberculosis and HIV.

"Tuberculosis and HIV-related opportunistic infections continue to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations in our Region. Through this initiative, we aim to support research that contributes to reducing mortality from these infections through practical solutions with a real impact on public health," said Dr. Omar Sued, PAHO Regional Advisor on HIV Care and Treatment.

For his part, Dr. Ludovic Reveiz, Chief of the Science and Knowledge for Impact Unit in PAHO's Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health, highlighted the potential of emerging technologies to accelerate progress in public health. "Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we interact in different settings. In tuberculosis, it has already demonstrated its value in improving radiological diagnosis. Through this call, we seek to identify innovative uses of AI to prevent, detect, and monitor tuberculosis and HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean, thereby helping to accelerate the elimination of these diseases," he said.

The program will fund five projects, with a maximum award of US$30,000 per project and an estimated duration of 12 to 18 months. Proposals will be evaluated by external experts and technical staff from PAHO and TDR based on scientific merit, relevance to regional priorities, feasibility, and potential public health impact. Special consideration will be given to multicenter projects that actively engage public health authorities and promote regional collaboration.

Applications must be submitted through the eTDR platform by August 19, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Time). Selected projects must obtain approval from the relevant ethics committees, including the PAHO Ethics Review Committee (PAHOERC) , before implementation can begin.

Full Call for Proposals Document

Application Platform - eTDR

English Guide to Using the Application Platform