Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of every aspect of the globalized world, including R&D. Potentially critical R&D areas have been neglected because of the lack of market-driven incentives. However, new initiatives are emerging to address the present crisis of COVID-19 and possibly future similar incidents that will threaten humanity. In this paper, the global health landscape of R&D is discussed in terms of research focus and funding, illustrating under-funding in communicable diseases with the exception of three major infections: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The initiatives triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the novel emphasis on “access” are discussed. Finally, the authors propose a new funding model to address R&D in the case of market failure, by forming alliance between government, industry, and international philanthropic organization (GHIT model), and define clear strategy of enhancing access as the way forward.
Global health landscape challenges triggered by COVID-19