168: science for development

I was intrigued by this article in The Scientist today - well, it's more of an opinion piece really... The article argues that, having witnessed years of neglect - in terms of the level of funding dedicated to addressing health challenges facing the developing world - the world of science is back on track to benefit the poor. I'm not sure that is quite true, yet - but certainly as the article argues, greater investment is evident, from the likes of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust and many other public and private donor agencies. This could go much further. And the biggest gains will be made when profit-making enterprises agree that there is a market worth serving across Africa and in other low-income countries. But, if The Scientist and other major journals and magazines pay attention to areas of need, that is a good start. Let's hope we see more of it.