Healthcare poses a complex challenge for developing countries, interweaving problems of science, health and development.
International bodies
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Under its Framework Six funding programme, this new European Union initiative aims to translate medical research results into clinical trials in developing countries, particularly in Africa. The first move is to provide 200 million Euros for the development of new medicines and vaccines for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The website contains a
general outline of this scheme and limited information on its links with
Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.
Family Health International is a non-profit organisation that supports the improvement of international public health through research, education, and other services through a variety of partners worldwide. Its web section on
HIV/AIDS contains fact sheets, reports and other documents on a range of issues and programmes, including the prevention of
mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The organisation has a particular interest in
microbicides and has been involved in clinical trials in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the United States. FHI also provides the scientific management for the Microbicide Science Working Group of the HIV Prevention Trials Network, and collaborates with CONRAD's Global Microbicide Project.
Created in 1968, the Fogarty International Center is the branch of the US National Institutes of Health that supports international scientific research and training to reduce disparities in global health. Among others, it offers
international research and training programmes enabling US institutions to work with those in developing nations, and in the process help train young research professionals in their host countries.
The Global Forum was set up as an independent international foundation in 1998 to help correct the 10/90 gap (only 10 per cent of funding for health R&D is used for research into 90 per cent of the world's health problems). It aims to focus research efforts on diseases representing the heaviest burden on the world's health, and to facilitate collaboration between partners in both the public and private sectors.
The Global Forum for Health Research provides evidence, tools and discussion forums for decision-makers in research funding and policy to improve the health of the poor. Although it covers issues for both infectious and non-communicable diseases, the agency recognises that mental health problems are severely neglected in developing countries. As well as links to various publications and reports, the website also hosts RealHealthNews, which aims to share news on research and interventions that can improve the health of those in developing countries.
The Global Fund was created in 2001 to increase resources to fight three of the world's most devastating diseases, and to direct those resources to areas of greatest need. It operates as a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities that finances - rather than implements - prevention and treatment programmes.
A unit within the World Health Organization, IVR aims to develop and promote a global and sustainable research and development pipeline. This would deliver cost-effective vaccines against diseases that are particularly devastating in developing countries. The website provides a useful summary of its vaccine portfolio 
and a report of the IVR Global Vaccine Research Forum
The International AIDS Society is the world's professional society for scientists, healthcare and public health workers, and others engaged in HIV/AIDS prevention, control and care. It organises two biennial events: the International AIDS Congress, and the Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment. Other IAS activities include a clinical trials partnership for improving the coordination and information sharing of clinical trials in developing countries.
IAVI is a global organisation working to speed the development and distribution of preventive AIDS vaccines. IAVI’s work focuses on: mobilising support through advocacy and education; accelerating scientific progress; encouraging industrial participation in AIDS vaccine development; and assuring global access. Its newsletter, IAVI report, is a useful source of up-to-date information and insights, and is accompanied by a lay summary Vax. The website also includes recent policy publications, HIV/AIDS news headlines, an excellent glossary and a vaccines trials database.
The ICRW is a US/India-based non-profit organisation that is engaged in policy, advocacy, technical support and research on women's issues. Its website has a special section on
HIV and development.
The IFPMA represents the worldwide research-based pharmaceutical industry and other manufacturers of prescription medicines. The membership consists of national industry associations from both developed and developing countries, and corporations. The website contains IFPMA position papers on patent protection for pharmaceuticals and protection of innovation, the TRIPS Agreement, and prevention of counterfeiting.
The INCTR is dedicated to helping build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries in which such capacity is limited. The network, which has support from the US National Cancer Institute, aims to build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries with limited resources through long-term collaborative projects coupled to training and educational programmes. It also seeks to promote international collaboration on cancer control between developed and developing countries. The INCTR is located at the Institut Pasteur in Brussels but also has branches in the US, France, Brazil, Egypt and Nepal and offices in the UK, India and Tanzania. The website contains details of the network's activities in various countries.
International Rice Functional Genomics Consortium was formed in 2003 following publication of draft sequences of two rice subtypes by the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project. The Consortium will facilitate research in the post-sequencing "functional genomics" era. Objectives include establishing an integrated online network of rice functional genomics databases. The Consortium includes member institutes in China and India, as well as the International Rice Research Institute and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture.
UNAIDS is the main advocate for global action on HIV/AIDS, bringing together the expertise, resources and influence of its joint organisations (UNICEF, UNDCP UNFPA, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank). Together with the WHO, UNAIDS produces the most comprehensive and widely consulted source of statistics on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, at both the global and regional level. UNAIDS also produces fact sheets and reports on various issues including mother to child transmission, gender, access to drugs, vaccines and young people.
The World Health Organization's (WHO) Roll Back Malaria partnership is responsible for formulating malaria policy and strategy, as well as supporting operations and capacity development and co-ordinating the WHO's global efforts against malaria. This includes providing guidelines, monitoring and evaluation for malaria prevention, treatment and control.
An independent global programme of scientific collaboration co-sponsored by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO). Its goal is to help coordinate, support and influence global efforts to combat a portfolio of major diseases of the poor and disadvantaged, including malaria.
It funds research teams in developing countries to improve on and develop approaches to disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and control. It also supports capacity-building and implementation of new methods. These activities are focused in Africa, South-East Asia and South America. The website provides useful information in clear, accessible language on research activities, as well as background information on disease and transmission. It contains animated graphics of parasites' lifecycle, and a searchable archive of over 13,000 images related to tropical diseases freely available for non-commercial purposes. Download pdf
The avian flu page of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), concentrating on the threat the disease poses to animal health. It provides links to a small collection of important documents that outline the organisation's guidelines for tackling the spread of avian flu in livestock.
The World Health Organization for Animal Health (OIE) was set up to ensure transparency in the reporting of global animal disease. It is an intergovernmental organisation with 167 member countries that report the animal diseases detected on their territories. The website lists confirmed cases of avian flu and links to the official reports filed by each country.
This page is the starting point for all World Health Organization (WHO) information about avian flu. The WHO focuses on bird flu's relevance to human health; it is coordinating the global response to human cases of H5N1 avian flu and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. This website has 'situation updates' in the centre of the page, below which are relevant WHO press releases, meetings and speeches. Links down the right hand side of the page provide access to technical guidelines, information for the general public, and region-specific webpages about avian flu.
The UNICEF website provides factsheet about HIV/AIDS-related issues including young people and HIV/AIDS, mother to child transmission, and HIV and infant feeding.
