An R&D Blueprint for Action to Prevent Epidemics

Overview

Experience with past epidemics highlights the need, and the opportunity, to improve emergency preparedness. It also underlines the importance of research as an integral element of the response to any epidemic.

Moreover, the global health community increasingly recognizes the importance of proactive and coordinated research and product development efforts. These efforts - in advance of and during epidemics - must overcome existing market failures6 in addressing neglected tropical diseases, and in particular diseases with sporadic demand for countermeasures that are often concentrated in geographic areas with lower levels of health care spending.