The First Annual EDCTP Forum was held in Rome, Italy on 27-29 September 2004. It gathered scientists from Africa and Europe, international organisations and policymakers to share information and views as to how optimally address the challenges of interventions to control HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa.

Specific objectives are:

• To identify gaps in knowledge, particularly around the needs and opportunities in Africa to conduct trials of drugs, vaccines and microbicides against the 3 poverty-related diseases
• To identify approaches and priorities for capacity strengthening to facilitate the conduct of high quality clinical trials
• To identify areas where EDCTP can collaborate with other organisations in seeking to achieve its goals
• To identify the possibilities for collaboration between European and African research programmes related to clinical trials and capacity development.