Top ten biotechnologies for improving health in developing countries

Abstract

Most research into genomics and other related biotechnologies is concerned with the priorities of industrialized nations, and yet a limited number of projects have shown that these technologies could help improve health in developing countries. To encourage the successful application of biotechnology to global health, we carried out a study in which we asked an international group of eminent scientists with expertise in global health issues to identify the top ten biotechnologies for improving health in developing countries. The results offer concrete guidance to those in a position to influence the direction of research and development, and challenge common assumptions about the relevance and affordability of biotechnology for developing countries.

Simple Telemedicine for Developing Regions: Camera Phones and Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices for Real-Time, Off-Site Diagnosis

“…1 The clinical analyses carried out in developed economies, however, are often not directly applicable in developing economies. This translational problem has two components: i) current analytical systems are too expensive, large, complicated, or dependent on infrastructure to be broadly accessible in developing economies, or practically located in inaccessible regions; 2 and ii) developing economies do not have enough trained medical personnel to distribute the analytical systems to inaccessible regions.…”

Genomics for all

“…Authored by David Weatherall, Dan Brock and Heng-Leng Chee, with the advice of a distinguished panel of scientific and policy experts, the report outlined the potential impact of advances in genomics on some of the developing world's major public health problems. Inspired by the WHO report, on page 229 of this issue 1 , Abdallah Daar and colleagues present the consensus of 28 leading experts in global health as to the technologies that should take priority in the effort to bring the power of genomics and biotechnology to bear on the fight against communicable diseases. In light of this consensus, the WHO report deserves further comment.…”

Thread as a Matrix for Biomedical Assays

“…We and others have used hydrophilic paper as the basis for diagnostic assays (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). One strategy for using paper for diagnostic devices is to pattern channels into the paper using lines of hydrophobic polymer; the hydrophilic channels thus define the microfluidic paper analytical devices (µ-PADs) (3).…”