Recent news
June 2011
The United States should “apply the power of scientific innovation to more health problems,” NIH director writes
June 17, 2011 -- Thanks “in large part to biomedical innovation, we today have better ways to treat” global health diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, as well as to “lower the risk of transmission—advances that have saved millions of lives and promise to save countless more,” Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), writes in a Huffington Post opinion piece. He adds, “However, the job of biomedical research is far from over. Given the changing nature of the global health landscape, we must act now to broaden our vision even further. First, we need to apply the power of scientific innovation to more health problems. Secondly, we need to recognize that developed nations are not the only source of such innovation.”
According to Collins, it “will be no easy task to identify and implement the right tools to tackle” the “formidable—and potentially very costly—array of problems in resource-poor countries. To succeed, we will need the brightest minds in all parts of the world, including those from both the public and private sectors, to work together in new and highly creative ways.” Collins cites the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3 Africa) project, a collaboration between the NIH and the Wellcome Trust, as an example of such an approach. H3 Africa will “enable African researchers to take advantage of new research approaches to understand both genetic and non-genetic factors that contribute to risk of illness,” he adds.
Recently, some of the most creative—and cost-effective—strategies for medical products and procedures have arisen from research that reflects the needs and ideas of people living in poorer countries,” Collins writes, adding, “While some of these innovations are tailored to the specific needs of developing nations, others may come in handy in the United States—particularly in remote areas or low-resource settings.” He concludes, “So, as a nation, let us renew and strengthen our commitment to biomedical research aimed at improving the health of the world's poorest peoples. It just might improve our own.” See the link below for more information.
