Abstract
BackgroundBiomedical research plays an important role in improving health. There seems to exist a negative correlation between the amount of biomedical research funding and disease burden from all Sub-Saharan African countries. In this study, we describe funding patterns for biomedical research, explore the correlation between funding and burden of diseases, and quantify inequalities in funds distribution across diseases in Gabon over the period 2005–2015.MethodsData on medical research funds from 2005 to 2015 were retrieved through a structured questionnaire distributed to Gabonese biomedical research institutions and by consulting online databases. Data on the burden of diseases were gathered from the World Health Organization and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. We used Kendall rank correlation coefficient to explore the correlation between cumulative funds over time and the burden of disease. The inequality distribution of funding across diseases was assessed through Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve.ResultsBiomedical research funding was characterized by a remarkable growth from 2005 to 2010 and a decline from 2010 to 2014. Funds were mostly from external sources and from partnerships. There was inequality in research funds allocation across diseases and malaria was far the most funded disease. There was a significant negative correlation between cumulative funding and the burden of HIV, tuberculosis, and of Helminthiasis (from 2006 to 2010) suggesting that research may be contributing to the management of such diseases. A positive, although not significant, correlation was found between cumulative funds and malaria burden.ConclusionsThe negative correlation between HIV and tuberculosis cumulative funding and burden suggests that research may be contributing to the management of such diseases but further research is needed to assess the causal direction of such as relationship. As the burden of non-communicable diseases is increasing, more research funds should be focused on those. While research partnerships have been and will remain fundamental, Gabon should increase the amount of national funds to overcome periods of reduced research funding flows from abroad.
Highlights
Biomedical research plays an important role in improving health
Most of the funds came from external sources and were granted by international funders, with 58% of the total funding amount coming from the public sector, 37% from the philanthropic sector, and 5% from the private sector
This study has described the funding for biomedical research in Gabon for the period from 2005 to 2015, and showed that a total of 20.6 million euros were injected into biomedical research
Summary
Biomedical research plays an important role in improving health. There seems to exist a negative correlation between the amount of biomedical research funding and disease burden from all Sub-Saharan African countries. The number of deaths due to Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and tuberculosis (TB), largely concentrated in SSA, globally dropped by 30 and 17% respectively, over the same time period [5] Despite such encouraging improvement, the all-cause morbidity and mortality burden in SSA is still unacceptably high while at halfway toward completion of the epidemiological transition, characterized by (a) the double presence of infectious and non-communicable diseases [6], and (b) a low level of satisfaction of citizens with their health and with health care services, suggesting that wide gaps still exist towards a satisfactory improvement of the health system and relative health improvements [7]. Research investment in SSA lays the foundations for boosting capacity building of African scientists [13, 14]
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