Tracking global resources and capacity for health research: time to reassess strategies and investment decisions

• Published in: Health research policy and systems Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 93 - 5
• Main Authors: Adam, Taghreed, Ralaidovy, Ambinintsoa H, Ross, Anna Laura, Reeder, John C, Swaminathan, Soumya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 11-09-2023; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Analysis; Civil Defense; Coordination; COVID-19; Developing countries; Disease Outbreaks; Emergency preparedness; Funding; Global; Grants; Health research; Health research and development; Higher education; Humans; Industrialized nations; Investments; LDCs; Low- and middle-income countries; Medical research; Monkeypox; Observatories; Pandemics; Population; Priority setting; Product development; Public health; R&D; Research & development; Researchers; Resource allocation; Tuberculosis; World health; United States > US; Health research and development; Priority setting; Low- and middle-income countries; Funding; Investments; Global
• ISSN: 1478-4505; 1478-4505
• DOI: 10.1186/s12961-023-00979-7

The COVID-19 pandemic and more recently the Monkeypox outbreak emphasize the urgency and importance of improving the availability and equitable distribution of resources for health research across rich and poor countries. Discussions about the persistent imbalances in resource allocation for health research between rich and poor countries are not new, but little or no progress has been made in redressing these imbalances over the years. This is critical not only for emergency preparedness, but for the worlds' ability to improve population health in an equitable manner. Concerned with the lack of progress in this area, Member States of the World Health Organization requested the establishment of a Global Observatory on Health Research and Development, with the aim of consolidating, monitoring and analyzing relevant information on health research and development, with a view to informing the coordination and prioritization of new investments. In this commentary, we highlight some of the striking disparities from the Observatory's analysis over the 5 years since its establishment and reflect on what is needed to overturn stagnant progress.