International bodies are offering true research opportunities, but African funding is needed to prepare the ground, writes Linda Nordling.

New approaches are needed to reverse the trend of disappointing vaccines against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, argues biotech expert Thomas Egwang.

More affordable and effective treatments will be the result of a binding convention on R&D in health, according to an expert.

S&T advances should safeguard health, equity and the rights of vulnerable populations, says rural development professional Bhavani R. V.

The latest round of challenges to India's drug patent laws is a fight that must be won for the world's poor, says Priya Shetty.

Two safeguards for communities' rights to resources can help implement the Nagoya Protocol, argues biodiversity specialist Krystyna Swiderska.

Online clinical trials hold promise for research but scientists should think hard before using them in poorer countries, says Priya Shetty.

A binding international convention would facilitate a move towards more equitable access to R&D in health, according to Suerie Moon and colleagues.

Trade deals are threatening generic drugs — we need new ways to incentivise affordable drug development, says health expert Daniele Dionisio.

There is a pressing need for Africa to bolster its pharmaceuticals industry, and that requires the right policy framework, argues Priya Shetty.

Improving health for the poor depends on nurturing local innovations — and learning how to deliver them, argue Abdallah Daar and Peter Singer.

The revised malaria death toll suggests a need for research into uncertainties in controlling neglected tropical diseases, says Mark Booth.

India's carefully targeted strategy against polio holds lessons for other countries, and for other diseases, argues Priya Shetty.

New clinical trial designs can work for testing both Western and traditional medicines, argue Liang Liu and colleagues.

Diseases, and drugs used to treat them, behave differently in men and women. Drug development needs to account for this, says Priya Shetty.

Excitement about new drug treatment for HIV prevention does not mean we should lose sight of other methods, cautions Priya Shetty.

Developing world scientists should be empowered to do their own medical genomics research, say Carlos D. Bustamante and colleagues.

Impact studies warn that TRIPS-Plus provisions can lead to higher prices and reduced access to medicines, say Nusaraporn Kessomboon and colleagues.

Health research partnerships do more for development than just tackling illness, argues AIDS vaccine R&D leader Seth Berkley.