Funding of global health research

The endorsement by Bernadette Singer of our recommendations is welcome. Since we submitted our commentary,1 there have been several encouraging developments that demonstrate increasing awareness of, involvement in, and funding of global health research by Canadians.

Four federal agencies (the Canadian International Development Agency, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Health Canada and the International Development Research Centre) have signed a framework agreement to promote Canadian collaboration in global health research. They are sponsoring a national consultation process led by Allan Ronald of the University of Manitoba.

Several of the institutes of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research are exploring possibilities for funding global health research. For example, the advisory committee of the Institute for Public and Population Health has included global health problems in poor to middle-income countries within its mandate.

The International Development Research Centre, in collaboration with several other agencies, has announced a small grants facility, the Partnership for Global Health Equity, to explore collaborative efforts between Canada and developing countries for research concerning global health issues and to explore the processes and challenges involved in building mutually respectful and beneficial research partnerships. This initiative will be managed by the Canadian Society for International Health.

Canadian universities are also paying greater attention to global health. For example, the Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues at the University of British Columbia is sponsoring a symposium entitled “Canada and the 19/90 Gap: Correcting the Imbalance in Global Health Research Priorities” this month. More information is available through the Centre's Web site (www.liucentre.ubc.ca).

Encouraging as these initiatives are, there are big challenges ahead. These include creating a mechanism for efficient coordination, determining a niche for a distinctive Canadian contribution to the global effort and identifying the needed leadership. As James Orbinski noted recently, “Canada now has a chance to lead the way … the right priorities depend on the right leadership.”2