[Ip-health] New York Times: Brazil and India Join the Top Ranks of Governments Supporting Research

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/health/22glob.html?scp=3D2&sq=3Ddonald%20=
mcneil&st=3Dcse

December 22, 2009
Global Update
Brazil and India Join the Top Ranks of Governments Supporting Research
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.

Brazil and India are now among the top five government supporters of
research into third-world diseases, according to a study issued last
week, which found that middle-income nations are taking on more of the
burden of ills afflicting their poorest citizens.

The study, by the George Institute for International Health, based in
Australia, found that nearly $3 billion was spent last year on new
drugs or products for such diseases. Brazil and India took the lead on
leprosy and dengue fever and, with South Africa, supported much of the
research for meningitis and pneumonia.

=93For some neglected diseases, the traditional reliance on charitable
funding and donor aid is being replaced by a market and domestically
driven R & D,=94 said Dr. Mary Moran, the report=92s chief author.

Americans are still by far the largest backers. Between them, the
National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation provided nearly 60 percent of the financing.

In total, the United States government provided $1.3 billion; the
European Commission gave about one-tenth as much. Britain came third,
followed by Brazil, India, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden,
Australia, Canada and Norway.

When nongovernment financers are counted, the pharmaceutical industry
collectively was the third-largest after the N.I.H. and the Gates
Foundation.

Just three diseases =97 AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis =97 received 73
percent of the research money.

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Thiru Balasubramaniam
Geneva Representative
Knowledge Ecology International (KEI)
thiru@keionline.org


Tel: +41 22 791 6727
Mobile: +41 76 508 0997