Table 2 Financial Recommendations
From: How can developing countries harness biotechnology to improve health?
Africa | India | Eastern Mediterranean | Latin America and the Caribbean | Western Pacific/Southeast Asia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- Create sustainable financing mechanisms | - Develop independent, accountable, transparent regulatory systems [...] for a single entry, smart and effective system - Improve industry-academic interface with appropriate incentives to improve public health and the nation's wealth - Increase [government] funding for healthcare research with appropriate emphasis on genomics | - Coordinate a national survey/inventory/situation analysis/needs assessment of health biotechnology innovation systems, regulations, intellectual property policies, private sector activity, and strengths/weaknesses, opportunities and threats - Develop a proposal for a Regional Genomics and Health Research Fund emphasizing both peer-reviewed research and capacity strengthening - The National Commission on Biotechnology, in collaboration with the relevant ministries, should develop a plan to integrate genetic and genomics products (including diagnostics, vaccines, therapies, and other genomic priorities), within the health system and public health programs | - Develop mechanisms of regional cooperation to harness genomics and biotechnology for both health and economic development. The networks should not only pursue pure research but also applied problem solving investigation and product development - Facilitate the development of guidelines on intellectual property, biosafety, bioethics, regulation, and public awareness - Adopt a strategic point of entry into genomics and biotechnology. Bioinformatics is one such potential point of entry; others should be identified through foresight exercises conducted in the region - Domestic small and medium enterprises in the region should form strategic alliances and joint ventures, with special emphasis on bringing together organizations from different countries in the region | - Identification of cheaper alternative sources of energy - Develop and harmonize regulatory policies including IP, biodiversity management, biosafety, movement of genetic material, protection of indigenous knowledge - Create innovative business models for economic and health care development and to support research - Identify appropriate entry points for genomics/biotechnology (e.g. various forms of agriculture, genetic screening, traditional medicine, bioinformatics, diagnostics for infectious diseases, etc) - Explore formation of public-private partnerships to address regional and national health needs |