Only 1% of R&D funds for HIV, TB, malaria: WHO
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Sushmi Dey
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New Delhi:
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Investments in health
research and development (R&D) are poorly aligned with global public
health needs, the World Health Organisation has said, highlighting that
merely 1% of the total funding on health R&D was allocated towards
neglected diseases like HIV , tuberculosis and malaria which account for
over 12.5% of the global disease burden. “Investments in health
R&D are still insufficiently aligned with global public health
demands and needs,“ the UN agency said in its assessment which showed
that high-income countries had 352 times more health researchers than
low-income ones.
According to the Global TB Report-2016, India accounts for 24% of global TB cases. Six countries --India, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa account for 60% of the global total. India is also a hub of multi-drug resistant TB with nearly 480,000 contracting it in 2015.
India is under international pressure to tackle the TB problem, as it accounts for 1,400 of the 5,000 TB deaths daily. Though the number of TB deaths has come down in the past few years globally and in India, a huge rural population living with poor sanitation and poor nutrition makes elimination of the disease look like a distant dream.
The HIV and malaria burden is also significantly high. In 2015, the number of people living with HIV in India was estimated at 21.17 lakh, with 86,000 new HIV cases in that year.
India also accounts for the highest malaria burden outside Africa. Around 7.5 lakh cases and 188 malaria deaths were recorded till September 2016.
Recently , gaps in R&D investments and the pipeline for antimicrobial medicines have become a cause of global concern in the context of increasing antimicrobial resistance. The WHO's assessment also seeks higher funding for in the area of antimicrobial resistance, which impedes treatment of critical diseases including TB, malaria, urinary tract infection and even HIV .
The WHO assessment shows that R&D investments on neglected diseases in 2014 was around $3.5 billion. Though the investment has increased by 25% since 2007, the growth has declined from 2009.
According to the Global TB Report-2016, India accounts for 24% of global TB cases. Six countries --India, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa account for 60% of the global total. India is also a hub of multi-drug resistant TB with nearly 480,000 contracting it in 2015.
India is under international pressure to tackle the TB problem, as it accounts for 1,400 of the 5,000 TB deaths daily. Though the number of TB deaths has come down in the past few years globally and in India, a huge rural population living with poor sanitation and poor nutrition makes elimination of the disease look like a distant dream.
The HIV and malaria burden is also significantly high. In 2015, the number of people living with HIV in India was estimated at 21.17 lakh, with 86,000 new HIV cases in that year.
India also accounts for the highest malaria burden outside Africa. Around 7.5 lakh cases and 188 malaria deaths were recorded till September 2016.
Recently , gaps in R&D investments and the pipeline for antimicrobial medicines have become a cause of global concern in the context of increasing antimicrobial resistance. The WHO's assessment also seeks higher funding for in the area of antimicrobial resistance, which impedes treatment of critical diseases including TB, malaria, urinary tract infection and even HIV .
The WHO assessment shows that R&D investments on neglected diseases in 2014 was around $3.5 billion. Though the investment has increased by 25% since 2007, the growth has declined from 2009.
Source: Times of India, 24-01-2017
