SciDev.Net

New technologies can help African countries identify counterfeit or substandard drugs, says director of Africa Fighting Malaria Roger Bate.

Engineering a useable product is the key to making nanotechnology work for water treatment, says Ashok Raichur.

Developing world businesses must invest in nanotech research and development for clean water to stay ahead, says Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb.

Developing countries are making good progress on nanotech for clean water, say Paulo Sergio de Paula Herrmann Jr. and José Antônio Brum.

Renewables like solar, wind and biomass could help India meet its growing energy needs and create millions of jobs, says Anil K. Rajvanshi.

India should be inspiring science and technology graduates to stay in the sector, rather than building new institutions, says Anant Kamath.

Academic partnerships bring knowledge and drive economic growth, but success depends on good communications that build trust, says Tim Gore.

A bottom-up approach is making locally-appropriate pesticides available to India's poorer farmers, explains Daniel Puente-Rodríguez.

Investing in detailed maps of potential cyclone damage will save lives in Indian Ocean countries, says Shishir Dube.

Preparing for cyclones can save lives, but to save livelihoods nations must also help people adapt to cyclones' impacts, says Saleemul Huq.

Disaster research can help future interventions, but urgency should never excuse exploitation of survivors, says Athula Sumathipala.

Combining statistical and physical models offers the best hope of predicting changes in local cyclone risks in the Indian Ocean, says Mark Tadross.

Home to most of the Himalayas, Nepal must be at the heart of any regional climate change initiative, says Murari Sharma.

The Saptakoshi embankment collapse at Kusaha, Nepal, on 18 August was not a natural disaster, but a man-made tragedy, says Dipak Gyawali.

A new law to increase university patenting in India needs more research and public debate before being enacted, says Shamnad Basheer.

Pakistan's new government must continue to support science and technology, says an editorial in Nature.

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.