Groundbreaking survey of funding for global health R&D released in India
The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), a group of more than 30 nonprofit organizations dedicated to increasing US support and funding for global health research and development (R&D), commends the release of the 2009 Global Funding of Innovation for Neglected Disease (G-FINDER) survey created by the George Institute for International Health. The G-FINDER is the only annual global survey of public and private investments into R&D for neglected diseases.
According to the survey, the US Government is the single largest investor in global health R&D, providing $1.3 billion for neglected diseases R&D in 2008, a nominal increase over 2007 funding levels. Two organizations, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, accounted for nearly 60 percent of total funding worldwide. Countries like India and Brazil, now among the top five government funders of global health R&D, are playing an increasingly large role as investors, and are taking the lead on diseases such as leprosy and dengue fever.
The report highlights the critical role the United States has played in advancing new health technologies as well as the need for sustained and increased funding for research. As a result of investment in global health R&D, Americans and millions of people worldwide no longer live in fear of diseases such as polio and measles, and new technologies are saving children from life-threatening illnesses, such as diarrheal disease.
Existing tools to combat global health diseases such as antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS and bed nets for malaria have made tremendous progress in the fight against disease, but more is needed to stop the spread of life-threatening illnesses,” said Dr. Christopher Elias, president and CEO of PATH, an international nonprofit organization and secretariat of the GHTC. “We need new vaccines, tests, drugs, and other health tools that can prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases and address existing and emerging global health threats.”
The GHTC applauds the report’s call for stronger investment in global health R&D by high-income countries. Although the United States has long been a global leader in fostering innovation to improve the lives of others around the world, AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other neglected diseases continue to exact a high toll in developing countries. Every day, more than 35,000 people die from these illnesses. The GHTC works with policymakers to highlight actions that the US Government can take in order to further address these persisting issues, including:
- Increase R&D funding for US government agencies that help to fight global infectious diseases, including the NIH, United States Agency for International
Development, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Defense, and the Food and Drug Administration.
- Increase private industry engagement in global health R&D through market incentives and innovative financing.
- Strengthen cooperative international efforts to review and approve new vaccines, drugs, tests, and other health tools to ensure safe and effective
global health solutions are available when they are needed.
"History has shown that investing in global health research not only saves lives, but also produces cost savings and efficiencies,” said Dr. Mary Moran, Director of Health Policy at the George Institute and developer of the G-FINDER survey. “To meet the global health needs of tomorrow, it is critical to invest in research today so that the most effective health solutions are available when we need them.”