Research funding for emerging infectious diseases rarely reaches the countries, shows data

Research funding for emerging infectious diseases rarely reaches the countries where such diseases do the most harm, according to new data analysis that highlights how spikes in funding trail off when disease outbreaks stop making headlines.

Despite rapid growth of global spending to tackle emerging infectious diseases, which largely impact the developing world, much of the basic research and development takes place in industrial countries — usually those that provide the funding.

This is according to the latest G-Finder report, compiled by global health think tank Policy Cures Research and published today.

The United States was found to be the biggest emerging infectious disease research donor, but also the biggest funding recipient.

Between 2014 and 2018, the country provided 80 percent of global public funding for the priority diseases identified by the World Health Organization R&D Blueprint for action to prevent epidemics. These include Ebola, Zika, coronaviruses and the as-yet-unknown Disease X.