New evidence shows that global health research is a wise investment for the US
GHTC member highlights economic benefits in Illinois
Investing in global health research is a wise choice for the US government that can reap benefits both at home and abroad. In an effort to demonstrate the domestic advantages of investments in science and innovation, Research!America (R!A) recently launched an initiative to highlight the economic benefits of global health research in specific US states, starting with Illinois.
R!A, a member of the Global Health Technologies Coalition, recently convened several events that brought together some of the leading minds in global health research from Illinois with key leaders from the US government. The organization also released the results of a statewide poll on global health research, which found that even in the current economy, 73% of Illinois residents think that investing in research to improve health globally is important to jobs and incomes in the state. This belief is supported by a new R!A fact sheet on Illinois, which found that investments in global health research have created tens of thousands of state jobs in medicine, research, public health, and education. In addition, each bioscience job in Illinois results in an additional 5.8 jobs for the state.
"Global health is America's health—curing illness abroad helps fuel our economy and create jobs here. Global health research is one of Illinois's best investments, creating growth opportunities at the state's universities, medical centers and local companies that keep the state's economy growing," said former Illinois Congressman and R!A Chair John Edward Porter.
Although the rational for investing in global health research is often tied to a moral imperative to help people in the developing world, there are also clear economic benefits in the United States, as R!A's work in Illinois demonstrates. The organization will next focus on the impact of global health research in New Jersey—providing further evidence that US investments in research and science for global health diseases are supported by the American public and clearly benefit local economies. R!A President and CEO Mary Woolley said, "Investment in global health research clearly has strong public support, which should send a strong message to local and national policymakers."
Additional resources:
