Does India need to invest more in medical research?

The world is currently struggling under the chokehold of the coronavirus pandemic. Since December 2019, there has been a state of chaos and uncertainty all around the globe. As doctors and nurses fight this pandemic from the front lines, medical researchers and scientists are protecting the backlines with their attempts to develop a vaccine.

The process of vaccine development is a long one, and even longer is it’s passage to reach the intended patient. Still, the speed with which researchers are currently working for a coronavirus vaccine is record-breaking and remarkable. Whether the vaccines will be successfully available before it’s too late, only time will tell.

There is one thing that the pandemic has made very clear – medical research is an important aspect of a fully functional society. The finish line everywhere at the time of crisis is the same: to save as many lives as possible and not material possessions or technological advancements. Our aim is always to save lives, and for that, we need a strong ground for medical research to stand on.

Each year, hundreds of billions of dollars are spent on research and development (R&D) of new medicines, vaccines and diagnostics. But the way these funds are distributed and spent is often poorly aligned with global public health needs. Therefore, there is a need to advocate for increased investment in medical and health research, especially in the developing countries. They hold a lot of potential, which needs to be tapped now and at the same time, be strengthened for the future.

The UNESCO Institute of Statistics estimates that 27% of the total researchers in the world are in developing countries. According to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations, India is one of the developing countries considered as a strong candidate for increased biopharmaceutical research and development. We are assessed on the availability of scientists, quality of scientific research institutions, and technological sophistication in our country.

The world is currently struggling under the chokehold of the coronavirus pandemic. Since December 2019, there has been a state of chaos and uncertainty all around the globe. As doctors and nurses fight this pandemic from the front lines, medical researchers and scientists are protecting the backlines with their attempts to develop a vaccine.

The process of vaccine development is a long one, and even longer is it’s passage to reach the intended patient. Still, the speed with which researchers are currently working for a coronavirus vaccine is record-breaking and remarkable. Whether the vaccines will be successfully available before it’s too late, only time will tell.

There is one thing that the pandemic has made very clear – medical research is an important aspect of a fully functional society. The finish line everywhere at the time of crisis is the same: to save as many lives as possible and not material possessions or technological advancements. Our aim is always to save lives, and for that, we need a strong ground for medical research to stand on.

Each year, hundreds of billions of dollars are spent on research and development (R&D) of new medicines, vaccines and diagnostics. But the way these funds are distributed and spent is often poorly aligned with global public health needs. Therefore, there is a need to advocate for increased investment in medical and health research, especially in the developing countries. They hold a lot of potential, which needs to be tapped now and at the same time, be strengthened for the future.

The UNESCO Institute of Statistics estimates that 27% of the total researchers in the world are in developing countries. According to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations, India is one of the developing countries considered as a strong candidate for increased biopharmaceutical research and development. We are assessed on the availability of scientists, quality of scientific research institutions, and technological sophistication in our country.

In 2017, only 0.62% of our national GDP share went towards the R&D sector. If we want to succeed as a nation and secure lives, we should be doing more. More GDP share must be directed to health research. More needs to be done to bring the work of scientists in developing countries to the attention of the global scientific community. In our country, health research should be viewed as an engine for economic growth. Even when health research does not give monetary outputs, it can save money to the health service by extracting maximum benefits from limited resources.

While monetary investments are definitely the primary investment we require, there is also a need to invest our attention to the education we provide to medical students. We need to encourage scientific enquiry and rational thinking in our young population and include training programs in systematic research methodologies. We must inculcate in our medical students and clinicians an attitude of scientific curiosity and reasoning, and a habit of systematically recording and documenting their observations.

Investing in R&D to discover and develop medicines and vaccines is imperative to improve our access to medicines and quality health care. India is already making significant investments in science and contributing to the global knowledge pool.

This is the correct time to harness our potential and push for increased investments in the healthcare sector for a better future.