[Ip-health] Treatment Action Group report on TB funding

[James ARKINSTALL]

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Please find a report released by the Treatment Action Group on TB R&D=0D
funding in 2005-6 at the following address:=0D
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http://www.aidsinfonyc.org/tag/tbhiv/tbrandd/2007tbranddreport.pdf=0D
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Below is a cut and paste from the executive summary and recommendations.=0D
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=E2=80=A2 TB R&D investments were nearly stagnant in 2006, rising just $20 =
million=0D
to $413 million, or less than 5% above the 2005 $393 million tally. This=0D
means that, given inflation and reporting changes (China and South Africa=
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reported this year, but France=E2=80=99s INSERM did not), there was no sign=
ificant=0D
growth overall.=0D
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=E2=80=A2 The proportion of public sector investment retreated from 68.5% o=
f the=0D
total in 2005 to 59% in 2006. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the=
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world=E2=80=99s largest health research investor, posted an $8 million decl=
ine in=0D
TB R&D funding from 2005 to 2006. This reduction reflects the impact of=0D
NIH=E2=80=99s overall flat funding since 2004, which, when considering infl=
ation,=0D
amounts to an effective 12.4% decrease in NIH support. The UK Medical=0D
Research Council=E2=80=99s (MRC) contribution collapsed by 73.7% from 2005 =
to 2006.=0D
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=E2=80=A2 Philanthropies, principally the Gates Foundation, substantially b=
oosted=0D
their contributions, increasing this sector=E2=80=99s proportion of total=
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investment from 20% to 27.7%.=0D
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=E2=80=A2 Reported industry investment grew nearly 2% (from 11% to 12.9%).=
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=E2=80=A2 Investment in research on diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines increa=
sed,=0D
while basic science and operational research funding declined.=0D
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=E2=80=A2 Measured against the Global Plan=E2=80=99s 2006 targets for new t=
ools research=0D
funding, TAG=E2=80=99s report reveals that actual investments fell short by=
 half a=0D
billion dollars. The 2006 funding gap for TB diagnostics research was $18=
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million, for drugs $275 million, and for vaccines $213 million.=0D
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Recommendations=0D
1. TB R&D investment must increase fivefold, from approximately $400=0D
million per year to $2 billion per year, for basic science, applied=0D
research, and operational research in order to meet the ambitious R&D goals=
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set by the Global Plan.=0D
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2. A comprehensive, global TB R&D agenda that includes basic and=0D
operational research must be developed.=0D
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3. TB R&D requires better coordination, both globally and nationally.=0D
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4. Governments, countries, and foundations all need to more accurately=0D
track and transparently report on TB R&D investments.