The arguments for more funding towards tropical infectious

disease

• Proportion of money spent should parallel the number of deaths and DALYs

• Tropical diseases are so economically expensive that the world would be richer and more stable if we could eradicate them

• With the exception of HIV, a very small component of research funds is directed to tropical diseases

Davies S. 10/90 Report on Health Research 2000 (Geneva: Global Forum for Health Research, 2000)

Flory JH, Kitcher P(2004). Global Health and the Scientific Agenda, Philosophy and Public Affairs 32 (1):36-65

Pogge T, Reddy S (2007). How Not to count the Poor. www.socialanalysis.org

• Removing a few million pounds from cancer research will not materially change the chances of making progress in fighting cancer

• We have to fight some of these infections as they will come back to haunt the developed world

• Do the Rawls thought experiment of imagining the ideal for the conduct of science without knowing what type of world we will end up with

Davies S. 10/90 Report on Health Research 2000 (Geneva: Global Forum for Health Research, 2000)

Flory JH, Kitcher P(2004). Global Health and the Scientific Agenda, Philosophy and Public Affairs 32 (1):36-65