Health research

Poor health and poverty are inextricably linked. We aim to tackle important health problems such as malaria, HIV and AIDS, and TB as well as the so-called ‘neglected diseases’ that threaten the lives of millions of people around the world. For many of the diseases that disproportionately affect people in poor countries there are few drugs available, and many of those are old and may themselves be toxic.

Global policies and national health practices need to be based on the best possible information, and the most robust evidence. Our research investigates new solutions to existing health problems as well as smarter ways of delivering existing solutions to more people.

We fund research in collaboration with others, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other governments, and innovative alliances have been built with the private sector and others through product development partnerships. These organisations bring together the strengths of the public and private sectors in developed and developing countries. DFID also has significant and ongoing collaborations with both the UK Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

DFID’s extensive experience in health research has produced important results, including:

• The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative has developed the first new combination drug in 25 years for the treatment of sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis), one of the most neglected of tropical diseases. Because it is more convenient for patients, it lifts the burden on health staff, and cuts the costs of medicine, transport and hospitalisation.
• Malaria is an entirely preventable and curable disease. But the parasite has become resistant to older medicines, and it is estimated that a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds. The Medicines for Malaria Venture has brought out a new antimalarial treatment, dispersible Coartem, especially formulated for children. The new drug is safe, effective, easier for children to absorb, and provides a malarial cure rate of 97%.
• It is important to know how many women are dying in childbirth as many deaths could be avoided with the right medical support. The Measuring Maternal Mortality Programme has developed new, low cost methods of calculating maternal mortality by interviewing members of the community, and avoiding the need for expensive surveys in areas where there is poor registration of births and deaths.