SciDev.Net

Maternal health needs a new, pragmatic, research-led approach targeted specifically for developing countries, says Priya Shetty.

Policymakers must think outside the box to strengthen clinical research networks for global health, says Harvard researcher Jeff Blander.

Understanding how neglected tropical diseases affect chronic diseases can help inform health policies, say Peter Hotez and Abdallah Daar.

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

Cancer care in Africa faces the same challenges as general healthcare, but also needs local data and targeted solutions, says Twalib Ngoma.

To stem the spread of obesity, we must study the web of commercial interests and strategies driving it, says Jonathan Wells.

We need better global monitoring for chronic diseases before we can really tackle the risks factors and prevent illness, says Colin Mathers.

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

Non-communicable disease treatment has a lot to learn from tuberculosis control programmes, say Anthony D. Harries and colleagues.

Hypertensive disease kills large numbers in developing countries, but efforts to tackle it are lacking, say Stephen MacMahon and colleagues.

The West should eradicate diseases spread to Latin America by the transatlantic slave trade, say Patrick J. Lammie and colleagues.

Good quality tropical diseases research exists, but the mechanisms surrounding it need reform, say a series of Nature articles.

Denise DeRoeck and colleagues want to see research into typhoid fever placed firmly back on the international agenda.

A new vaccine could prevent millions of cervical cancer deaths if priced appropriately, argue Jan M. Agosti and Sue J. Goldie.

Tackling chronic diseases in developing countries must be made a priority, say Gerard F. Anderson and Edward Chu.

Funds allocated to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria could be used to tackle neglected diseases that affect millions, say David Molyneux and colleagues.

Amir Attaran says that assessing the success of efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals means some 'immeasurable' goals must be redefined or discarded.

Developing countries are investing more in research and development for neglected diseases, but they need innovation networks to sustain this progress, say Carlos Morel and colleagues.

Dave Chokshi says that universities should do more to foster work on diseases neglected by most research and development efforts.

Stephen M. Maurer and colleagues argue that an 'open access' model of drug development, with the products made freely available, could boost the treatment of tropical diseases.