Health Innovation Networks to Help Developing Countries Address Neglected Diseases
Carlos M. Morel,1*
Tara Acharya,2
Denis Broun,3
Ajit Dangi,4
Christopher Elias,5
N. K. Ganguly,6
Charles A. Gardner,7
R. K. Gupta,8
Jane Haycock,9
Anthony D. Heher,10
Peter J. Hotez,11
Hannah E. Kettler,12
Gerald T. Keusch,13
Anatole F. Krattiger,14
Fernando T. Kreutz,15
Sanjaya Lall,16
Keun Lee,17
Richard Mahoney,14
Adolfo Martinez-Palomo,18
R. A. Mashelkar,19
Stephen A. Matlin,20
Mandi Mzimba,21
Joachim Oehler,22
Robert G. Ridley,23
Pramilla Senanayake,24
Peter Singer,25
Mikyung Yun26
Gross inequities in disease burden between developed and developing countries are now the subject of intense global attention. Public and private donors have marshaled resources and created organizational structures to accelerate the development of new health products and to procure and distribute drugs and vaccines for the poor. Despite these encouraging efforts directed primarily from and funded by industrialized countries, sufficiency and sustainability remain enormous challenges because of the sheer magnitude of the problem. Here we highlight a complementary and increasingly important means to improve health equity: the growing ability of some developing countries to undertake health innovation.
1 Center for Technological Development in Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Avenida Brasil 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21040–900, Brazil.
2 300 East 93rd Street, Apartment 18A, New York, NY 10128, USA.
3 The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, 55 Lodi Estate, New Delhi, 110 003, India.
4 Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India, Peninsula Chambers, Peninsula Corporate Park, G. K. Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, 400 013, India.
5 Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, 1455 NW Leary Way, Seattle, WA 98107, USA.
6 Indian Council of Medical Research, V. Ramalingaswami Bhawan, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110 029, India.
7 The Rockefeller Foundation, 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018, USA.
8 Intellectual Property Management Division, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Third Floor, 14 Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area, New Delhi, 110 067, India.
9 Mission of the United Kingdom to the United Nations, 1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA.
10 University of Cape Town, Research and Innovation House, Lovers Walk, Lower Campus, Private Bag, Rodebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa.
11 Department of Microbiology and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Ross Hall Room 736, 2300 Eye Street N.W., Washington, DC 20037, USA.
12 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Post Office Box 23350, Seattle, WA 98102, USA.
13 Boston University, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 443W, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
14 BioDesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287–4501, USA.
15 FK Biotecnologia, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Building 43431, Campus do Vale, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91501–970, Brazil.
16 Oxford University, Queen Elizabeth House, 21 Saint Giles, Oxford OX1 3LA, UK.
17 Department of Economics, Seoul National University, Shillim-dong, Seoul, 151-742, Korea.
18 Ministry of Health, Periférico Sur 4118, Edifico Zafiro I, primero piso, Col. Jardine, DF 01900, Mexico.
19 Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi 110 001, India.
20 Global Forum for Health Research, 1-5 Route de Morillons, Post Office Box 2100, Geneva 2, CH-1211, Switzerland.
21 Department of Science and Technology, South African Embassy, 26 Rue de la Loi, Brussels 1040, Belgium.
22 The Concept Foundation, 111 Paholyothin Road, Thailand Science Park, Klongluang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
23 Tropical Disease Research Program, World Health Organization, Geneva 27 GE, CH-1211 Switzerland.
24 Global Forum for Health Research, 79 Hyde Park Corner, Colombo 2, Sri Lanka.
25 University of Toronto, 88 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G-1L4, Canada.
26 Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, Seocho-gu, Yeomgokdong, 300-4 Seoul, 137-747 Korea.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: morel{at}fiocruz.br
