Pharmaceutical exports from India have grown impressively by 15% to $10.3 billion for 2010-2011. Yet, the shocking reality of 1,000 deaths due to tropical diseases plunges the nation deep into the darkness of negligence.

-Team@CMHF

• India has been neglecting funding research of diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, sleeping sickness and a host of others, while funds are poured into honing treatments for diabetes, anxiety and sleeplessness.
• With infectious diseases causing 17 million deaths annually the world over, Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman of Bharat Biotech, underscores the need for India to support a business strategy driven by public health needs and not profits alone.
• India still remains the epicenter of such health problems called ‘neglected diseases’ and records the highest incidence of typhoid.
• Post 2000, the country has been taking a number of steps to address this problem.
• Although many companies now have the capacity to perform the full spectrum of tasks required to move from early discovery research to product registration, vaccine-makers have little financial incentive to develop the drugs most urgently needed by India’s poor.
• Multinational drug companies now conduct half of new neglected-disease drug development activity, either working with governments as public private partnerships or working alone and later partnering with various foundations like the Gates Foundation.

For further reading log on to

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-07-25/news/29812587_1_bharat-biotech-vaccine-manufacturers-infectious-diseases