Global Forum on Health Research
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DIVERTING RESOURCES TOWARD THE SOUTH
by Keane Shore
A Geneva-based foundation is trying to change global spending on
health research to divert more resources toward the problems of peo-
ple in developing countries.
Launched in 1997, the Global Forum on Health Research aims to help
correct the "10/90 disequilibrium." Louis Currat, the Forum's Execu-
tive Secretary, explains that the world spends $50 to $60 billion
each year on health research and development, of which just 10% is
used to study the health problems of 90% of the global population.
Major health challenges of the coming decades include malaria, tuber-
culosis, and pneumococcal disease; malnutrition; poor maternal and
child health; tobacco-related cancers and cardiovascular and respira-
tory diseases; neuro-psychiatric conditions, injuries, other cancers
and violence.
According to Dr Currat, although Northern nations have their own
health priorities, "it's not very logical to concentrate just on our
own problems. We have to realise it's going to cost us an awful lot
to ignore, in these proportions, the problems of the South," he said
during a recent meeting at the International Development Research
Centre (IDRC).
ORIGINS
The Forum grew out of World Development Report 1993: Investing in
Health, a World Bank report that proposed innovative new ways of
measuring the costs of disease in developing countries. Rather than
rely on mortality only to identify priority health problems, the re-
port used a more complex index, the Disability-Adjusted Life Years
Lost or DALY to quantify the "global burden of disease." Later in
1993, IDRC hosted an international conference on the report's impli-
cations. The conference resulted in the establishment of an Ad Hoc
Committee on Health Research to quantify health research needs in the
South, which led, ultimately, to the Forum's creation.
To achieve its goal, the Global Forum on Health Research is fostering
collaboration between a wide range of partners in order to exchange
information on health research, reduce duplication in health research
and development, and identify and support the most cost-effective
health interventions. The Forum's strategies include yearly confer-
ences and support for analytical studies that highlight the 10/90
disequilibrium and how to correct it. So far, its activities have in-
volved more than 150 participants and its Steering Committee includes
representatives of the World Health Organization, the World Bank, bi-
lateral cooperation agencies, international foundations, women's or-
ganizations, national and international NGO's, research institutions,
and private sector enterprises.
LINKING ORGANIZATIONS
Dr Currat said that if each organization is a mountain, then the Fo-
rum must become "the water between the mountains," making it easier
for people and ideas to travel between each while avoiding lengthy
climbs. Forum members believe that the resulting linkages of ideas
and synergies will result in more efficient ways to increase the
health of Southern populations.
"We hope that our efforts will improve the allocations of funds, and
change the 10/90 disequilibrium a little bit," he concluded. "Even if
we change just one per cent (of global spending) that represents $500
million."
RESOURCE PERSONS:
Louis J. Currat
Global Forum for Health Research
Executive Secretary
c/o World Health Organization
Avenue Appia 20
CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Tel: +41-22-791-4260/791-3450/791-3418
Fax: +41-22-791-4394
mailto:keithlyd@who.ch
Enis Baris
Programs Branch
International Development Research Centre
PO Box 8500, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1G 3H9
Tel: +1-613-236-6163, ext. 2270
Fax: +1-613-567-7748
mailto:ebaris@idrc.ca
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