R4D’s Center for Global Health R&D Policy Assessment is pleased to present its draft “Open Source for Neglected Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities” for public consultation. The draft landscaping report is open for public review and comment until March 4, 2011. The Center’s mission is to expand and improve the information used by governments, philanthropists and private investors to make decisions on new ways to drive research and development (R&D) in global health.
As a part of a series of policy papers examining proposals to accelerate R&D for diseases primarily affecting the poor, “Open Source for Neglected Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities” explores how the traditional advantages of open source models, such as lowering costs, fostering collaboration and building a knowledge commons, apply to global health R&D and provides an overview of existing research initiatives.
The paper also highlights some of the advantages and challenges that these programs face and includes suggestions from program leaders of how to expand open source work in global health. The authors discuss the need for further analysis of how open source principles could be used to overcome bottlenecks in global health R&D and identify practical steps to bring the open source community together.
Join the Conversation
We are currently soliciting feedback on the draft assessment and encourage you to share your comments. You are also welcome to send a more detailed response to the authors at policyassessment@resultsfordevelopment.org
The Center’s next consultation draft, which looks closely at the potential of a tax credit to encourage global health R&D in the U.S., will be available for comment beginning at the end of February. To learn more about the Center’s work and to stay abreast of new reports visit www.healthresearchpolicy.org.