Monitoring financial flows for health research 2007: Behind the global numbers
The Global Forum for Health Research, June 2008
“….Data on research and development (R&D) investments for health provide an indicator of current research priorities, trends, overlaps and gaps. As health is dynamic, it is vital to regularly track these investments to make sure they are used in more efficient, effective and equitable ways.
The Global Forum for Health Research is the only organization that regularly tracks and reports on the world’s R&D investments for health. This 2007 collection of studies looks behind the global totals, analysing R&D for health expenditures in Argentina, China, Mexico and the United States. It also looks at investments in the research of cancer and 20 historically high-burden infectious diseases.
The rich tapestry of evidence provided reveals key conclusions:
- Investments in research for a range of globally important diseases and conditions remain inadequate – especially with respect to health problems in low- and middle-income countries.
- Matching investments with research priorities is of paramount importance for many poor countries affected by the double burden of both noncommunicable and communicable diseases.
- Large investors in high-income countries and governments in low- and middle-income countries pay insufficient attention to local, national and global priority needs when allocating resources…..”