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Research and development expenditure for poverty-related and neglected diseases: an analysis of economic and epidemiological data
Meeting Abstracts
Research and development expenditure for poverty-related and neglected diseases: an analysis of economic and epidemiological data Peter von Philipsborn, Fridolin Steinbeis, Max E Bender, Peter Tinnemann
Abstract Background Research and development (R&D) for poverty-related and neglected diseases falls short of their global public health importance. Several major global health initiatives aim to address this shortfall. We analysed the degree to which diseases are related to poverty and whether they are neglected by R&D at present. Methods We measured how diseases were related to poverty with the ratio of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) per 100 000 inhabitants in low-income and middle-income countries versus that in high-income countries. We termed this ratio the poverty relation factor (PRF), which we calculated for all 240 causes of death and disability in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. We classed each cause as strongly or moderately related to poverty or affluence on the basis of a WHO background report. We measured neglect in R&D by the ratio of disease burden in DALYs (as a percentage of the total global disease burden) versus R&D expenditure (as a percentage of total global health-related R&D expenditure). We termed this ratio the neglect factor, which we assessed for 26 diseases commonly considered neglected and listed in the 2012 G-FINDER report. We estimated total global health-related R&D expenditure from data from official statistical databases and reliable private sources (OECD.stat, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Eurostat, EP Vantage, Research!America). Research expenditure data for specific diseases were taken from the 2012 G-FINDER report. Findings 28 of 240 (12%) causes of death and disability were strongly related to poverty (PRF >35), 53 (23%) were moderately related (PRF 3–35), 117 (49%) were unrelated to economic development (PRF 0·66–2·99), 27 (11%) were moderately related with affluence (PRF 0·33–0·65), and 16 (7%) were strongly related with affluence (PRF <0·33). Total worldwide health-related R&D expenditure was US$233 billion in 2010. For the 26 poverty-related and neglected diseases included in our analysis, the neglect factor ranged between 0·32 for dengue and 1110 for rheumatic heart disease. These 26 diseases contribute to 14% of the global disease burden, but only 1·4% of global health-related R&D expenditure.
Published Online October 20, 2013 Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversität München, Munich, Germany (P von Philipsborn MSc); Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany (F Steinbeis, P Tinnemann MD); Universities Allied for Essential Medicines Europe, Berlin, Germany (F Steinbeis, M E Bender); and Münster University, Münster, Germany (M E Bender) Correspondence to: Peter von Philipsborn, LudwigMaximilians-Universität München, Traunsteinerstraße 5, 81549 München, Germany [email protected]
For the WHO background report see http://www.who.int/ phi/3-background_cewg_ agenda_item5_disease_types_ final.pdf
Interpretation A large shortfall exists in global R&D spending for poverty-related and neglected diseases, with huge variations between individual diseases. Funding None. Contributors PvP and FS wrote the abstract and did the statistical analysis with input from MB and PT. MB and PT provided conceptual input and research support. PT provided guidance on the implementation of the work. All authors have seen and approved the final version of the abstract for publication. Conflicts of interest We declare that we have no conflicts of interest.
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Research and development expenditure for poverty-related and neglected diseases: an analysis of economic and epidemiological data Peter von Philipsborn, Fridolin Steinbeis, Max E Bender, Peter Tinnemann
Abstract Background Research and development (R&D) for poverty-related and neglected diseases falls short of their global public health importance. Several major global health initiatives aim to address this shortfall. We analysed the degree to which diseases are related to poverty and whether they are neglected by R&D at present. Methods We measured how diseases were related to poverty with the ratio of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) per 100 000 inhabitants in low-income and middle-income countries versus that in high-income countries. We termed this ratio the poverty relation factor (PRF), which we calculated for all 240 causes of death and disability in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. We classed each cause as strongly or moderately related to poverty or affluence on the basis of a WHO background report. We measured neglect in R&D by the ratio of disease burden in DALYs (as a percentage of the total global disease burden) versus R&D expenditure (as a percentage of total global health-related R&D expenditure). We termed this ratio the neglect factor, which we assessed for 26 diseases commonly considered neglected and listed in the 2012 G-FINDER report. We estimated total global health-related R&D expenditure from data from official statistical databases and reliable private sources (OECD.stat, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Eurostat, EP Vantage, Research!America). Research expenditure data for specific diseases were taken from the 2012 G-FINDER report. Findings 28 of 240 (12%) causes of death and disability were strongly related to poverty (PRF >35), 53 (23%) were moderately related (PRF 3–35), 117 (49%) were unrelated to economic development (PRF 0·66–2·99), 27 (11%) were moderately related with affluence (PRF 0·33–0·65), and 16 (7%) were strongly related with affluence (PRF <0·33). Total worldwide health-related R&D expenditure was US$233 billion in 2010. For the 26 poverty-related and neglected diseases included in our analysis, the neglect factor ranged between 0·32 for dengue and 1110 for rheumatic heart disease. These 26 diseases contribute to 14% of the global disease burden, but only 1·4% of global health-related R&D expenditure.
Published Online October 20, 2013 Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversität München, Munich, Germany (P von Philipsborn MSc); Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany (F Steinbeis, P Tinnemann MD); Universities Allied for Essential Medicines Europe, Berlin, Germany (F Steinbeis, M E Bender); and Münster University, Münster, Germany (M E Bender) Correspondence to: Peter von Philipsborn, LudwigMaximilians-Universität München, Traunsteinerstraße 5, 81549 München, Germany [email protected]
For the WHO background report see http://www.who.int/ phi/3-background_cewg_ agenda_item5_disease_types_ final.pdf
Interpretation A large shortfall exists in global R&D spending for poverty-related and neglected diseases, with huge variations between individual diseases. Funding None. Contributors PvP and FS wrote the abstract and did the statistical analysis with input from MB and PT. MB and PT provided conceptual input and research support. PT provided guidance on the implementation of the work. All authors have seen and approved the final version of the abstract for publication. Conflicts of interest We declare that we have no conflicts of interest.
www.thelancet.com
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