White House prioritizes health research and development

Recent efforts underscore GHTC’s work to advance global health tools

In several speeches and initiatives over the past year, President Obama has singled out research and development (R&D) as a priority of his administration. From pledging at least 3 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to all R&D during a speech at the National Academy of Sciences, to supporting biomedical research in next year's federal budget, President Obama has highlighted the importance of innovation and underscored many of the priorities of the Global Health Technologies Coalition to promote new health products for the developing world.

Last week, the White House released its fiscal year 2011 budget proposal, which calls attention to the importance of biomedical research at National Institutes of Health (NIH), with a focus on global health and other issues. The president's budget proposal also aims to spur investment in R&D by making a research and experimentation tax credit permanent. "Investment in science and basic research is critical to long-term economic growth," according to a White House budget fact sheet. In addition to NIH, several other US agencies are involved in global health R&D. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Defense (DoD), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) all play key roles in developing and regulating products for use in the developing world.

The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC)—a coalition of more than 30 nonprofit groups working to increase awareness of the urgent need for technologies that save lives in the developing world—shares President Obama's commitment to biomedical research and global health issues. The GHTC aims to strengthen US policies that will advance the creation of new global health products. It focuses on policies related to public financing, regulatory pathways, and innovative financing mechanisms—three key areas that affect R&D, not just domestically but worldwide.

Additional resources:

White House fiscal year 2011 budget fact sheet.

National Academy of Sciences speech text.