Exporting "failure": why research from rich countries may not benefit the developing world

Authors

  • J Jaime Miranda London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Department of Epidemiology and Population Health
  • M Justin Zaman University College; School of Life and Medical Sciences; Department of Medicine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102010000100020

Keywords:

Descriptors, Biomedical Research, trends, Technical Cooperation, Developed Countries, Developing Countries, Evidence-Based Medicine

Abstract

The '10/90 gap' was first highlighted by the Global Forum for Health Research. It refers to the finding that 90% of worldwide medical research expenditure is targeted at problems affecting only 10% of the world's population. Applying research results from the rich world to the problems of the poor may be a tempting, potentially easy and convenient solution for this gap. This paper had the objective of presenting arguments that such an approach runs the risk of exporting failure. Health interventions that are shown to be effective in the specific context of a Western industrialized setting will not necessarily work in the developing world.

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Published

2010-01-01

Issue

Vol. 44 No. 1 (2010)

Section

Comments

How to Cite

Miranda, J. J., & Zaman, M. J. (2010). Exporting "failure": why research from rich countries may not benefit the developing world . Revista De Saúde Pública, 44(1), 185-189. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102010000100020