Building research and development on poverty-related diseases

The 2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine marks an important milestone for research on infectious diseases of poverty. The award was shared by researchers identifying novel therapies for infections caused by roundworm parasites and malaria. Chinese scientist Youyou Tu was recognized for the rediscovery of artemisinin, which led to the artemisinin-based combination treatments for malaria that have saved millions of lives. Satoshi Omura from Japan and William Campbell from the USA discovered avermectin, which led to the development of an effective treatment against river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, diseases that cause immense suffering and severe disfigurement. The challenge now is to ensure that scientific and political momentum is not only sustained but expanded and, importantly, coordinated and financed.