SciDev.Net

FDA priority review vouchers will not necessarily encourage research into tropical diseases, argues Aaron Kesselheim.

African governments are ill-prepared to address the continent's growing cancer burden, warn Hany Besadaand and Vadim Ermakov.

Developing nations must stop aping the North's mental health services and use strategies tailored to their own needs, says Vikram Patel.

Doruk Ozgediz and Robert Riviello make the case for devoting more resources to easily treated surgical conditions in Africa.

Peter J. Hotez believes the establishment of a new financing mechanism is vital for the control and eradication of neglected diseases.

Drug companies seeking to promote research and development in poor nations should focus on innovation, not legislation, argues Angela Saini.

To address the urgency of the HIV crisis, says Mauro Schechter, vaccine researchers must pursue clinical trials as well as basic science, testing vaccines for both prevention and therapy.

Kevin Robert Frost says it is time that generic HIV/AIDS drugs are better regulated so that people living with AIDS in developing countries can access the most effective and economical therapies.

Graham Dutfield argues that the double standards countries such as the US and those in the EU hold in enforcing intellectual property rights are preventing developing countries from learning how to innovate.

Donors should take an 'innovation' rather than a 'research' approach to designing scientific and technological aid programmes.

Developing countries should design patent laws that promote access to medicines and prevent strategic patenting by pharmaceutical companies, writes Carlos María Correa.

N. Kumarasamy summarises the obstacles to the effective implementation of antiretroviral HIV therapy in developing countries.

Richard Smith and colleagues argue that developing countries are being left behind because of restrictions on sharing genomic knowledge.

The forthcoming WTO meeting is likely to agree a text on intellectual property and public health. But Aileen Kwa warns that this could just present developing countries with yet more bureaucracy.