Blog Post 9: U.S./Canadian Research Universities Faulted for Neglecting Global Health Issues

'Report Card' Faults Research Universities' Impact on Global Health

http://chronicle.com/article/Report-Card-Faults-Research/138281
April 4, 2013
By Goldie Blumenstyk

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), a medical and public health advocacy group, has graded 54 major U.S. and Canadian research universities on the percentage and quality of research devoted to dealing with international health issues. The Chronicle of Higher Education summarizes the disappointing findings. On average, only 3% of research efforts target common global health concerns outside of the developed world. Most major North American research universities are devoting little time, effort and money towards developing treatments and cures for common global health issues like Chaga's disease, malaria, sleeping sickness, parasitic infections and pediatric HIV/AIDS. There was wide variation in scores among the universities graded but most ranked poorly. Given that research universities play significant roles in developing new health technologies, along with governmental and non-governmental organizations, the UAEM report identifies multiple areas for funding and focus improvements in the fight against common global diseases.

Analysis

Outside of the developed world, the impacts of neglected diseases on societies and nations are immense. They contribute to lower life expectancies, lower overall productivity and lower quality of life. Neither the Chronicle Report nor the original report by UAEM (http://globalhealthgrades.org/about) attempts to describe why our universities are neglecting these issues.  Is this a case of widespread Western ethnocentrism? Since these diseases do not affect our citizens to any great degree, are they less deserving of attention? Perhaps, the close economic ties between research universities, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies bias efforts towards more profitable end-product endeavors- marketable in wealthy nations? Is profit motive tied to licensing and patents undercutting development of effective treatments for diseases in poorer countries? These are important rhetorical questions that come to mind when reviewing a report like this. It's difficult to find easy answers for them. Most research universities generally espouse philosophies and missions centered on serving global public good. At the least, shouldn't we ask these questions?

Antony L. Cochran
SOC 202-02
April 5, 2013 23:00