Bridging the 10/90 gap: can Bangladesh provide a developing world model for influenza and pneumonia research?

Abstract

Despite the fact that developing countries carry more than 90 global disease burden, only a small fraction of global medical research addresses their problems. It is interesting to note that even in the field of acute respiratory tract infections, a leading cause of mortality in poor settings, there has been disproportionately little research performed in developing countries. Using Bangladesh as an example, we discuss how clinical trials to address the most important health problems of the developing world (that are also of relevance to the developed world) have been and can continue to be conducted in resource poor countries. To start with, we propose to conduct, in partnership with colleagues from resource rich countries, an influenza vaccine trial in Bangladesh to assess the efficacy of trivalent influenza vaccine, with and without the addition of supplementary measures like the promotion of hand hygiene in reducing pneumonia mortality among children under 5 years of age. Such research may produce a win-win situation for both developed and developing countries