Stockholm  - Main European countries were Wednesday said to be "lagging far behind" the United States in funding efforts to develop new tests and treatment of tuberculosis.

The disease is estimated to claim 1.7 million lives each year, the medical humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in a new report.

The report analyzed how funds for tuberculosis were contributed in 2007 and concluded that France and Britain paid about half "of their fair share, respectively, while Germany and Italy are doing much worse at 23 and 11 per cent," MSF said.

The US was estimated to contribute about two thirds of its share.

Of the 2 billion dollars needed each year to tackle tuberculosis, only roughly 482 million dollars were paid, MSF estimated.

Christophe Fournier, president of MSF's International Council, said in a statement it was necessary to mobilize more funds since "we can't treat TB properly with the drugs and diagnostics at our disposal and that means losing significant numbers of patients."

In order to stimulate research, MSF suggested that governments could offer "cash prize rewards for successful development."

The MSF report was published on the eve of the European Development Days hosted in Stockholm.

Themes to be discussed include how to make development aid more effective as well as the global financial crisis, democratic development and climate change.(dpa)