The world is close to eradicating polio, but countries need consistent vigilance — including informed media coverage — to reach this goal.

Focussing on the steps needed to eradicate malaria, not just control it, can broaden and stimulate support for health research agendas.

A decision to delay, yet again, the destruction of smallpox virus stocks ignores the concerns of the developing world.

Developing countries must be given all the scientific, technical and legal help they need to counter the growing trade in fake medicines.

Nanotechnology for health should not suffer the same fate as GM — potential health and environmental hazards should be monitored and regulated early on.

Integrating modern and traditional medicine requires breaking down the legal and regulatory barriers that disadvantage the poor.

Science can help design strategies to tackle malnutrition. The challenge is turning this knowledge into action.

Climate change's complex links with insect-borne disease need solid research — not alarmism that distracts from other crucial factors.

A meeting in Berlin brought unequal health research partnerships into the open — but will its framework kick-start progress or gather dust?

The media can help in the global fight against disease, both as a watchdog for poor practices, and a champion for successful research.

Governments and donors must find ways to tackle the rise in non-communicable disease, which can mean reassessing health priorities in developing nations.

African ministers have committed themselves to a set of actions to boost health research in their countries. Now they must implement them.

International surveillance systems are needed to curb the rise of antibiotic resistance.

Developing countries need economic stability and social inclusion to develop — both of which are in jeopardy in Kenya and Pakistan as 2008 dawns.

The research community's failure in the past 25 years to develop either a vaccine or a cure for HIV/AIDS underlines the need to be more, not less, scientific.

Developing countries need to recognise the long-term benefits of creating the capacity to research and develop flu vaccines.

Increasing access to affordable drugs in developing countries requires better government intervention, not less of it.