Richard Sullivan, Co-Director of the Centre for Conflict and Health Research, and Professor of Cancer and Global Health at King’s College London, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“As the casualties mount from the new world order, development assistance for health has dropped some 21%.
The impact on R&D funding is also gathering pace. In addition to NCI/NIH funding contraction, in the UK the Medical Research Council has closed its Applied Global Health Board and the National Institute for Health and Care Research has also dramatically scaled back its global support. Funding for global health is vaporising wherever you look.
Global cancer research is in an even more precarious position. To be fair it was never in good shape; only around 2-3% of all high income cancer research is collaborative with an LMIC partner country. In spite of this many resource-constrained countries, like Zambia, have managed to improve their cancer research ecosystems.
But this is now under serious threat. Regionally, Sub-Saharan Africa remains significantly behind where it needs to be. Indeed, the entire African continent contributes only 1.3% of global cancer research output despite a huge pool of latent talent and international diaspora.
And it’s hard to see how domestic resource mobilisation will be forthcoming. Yet, national cancer plans need context-specific research. Despite significant policy foreground through a Lancet Oncology Commission, attempts to strengthen cancer research across SSA countries have been sub-optimal and fragmented.
But there are outstanding models, such as AWACAN-ED and ARGO for building capacity in research methods and doctoral training. But they are others need significant and stable long term support. And it does require everyone to pull in the same direction.”
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