Background paper on health research priorities

To establish the context in which A.I.D. health research is conducted, an introductory chapter reviews disease patterns and the causes of morbidity and mortality in the developing world and distinguishes different types of health research. Chapter two reports the research agenda outlined by six groups of medical experts convened or assisted by A.I.D. (or, in one case, WHO) since 1982, including, inter alia, the Workshop on Priorities in Biotechnology Research for International Development, the A.I.D. Malaria Strategy Workshop, and the Task Force for Child Survival. In Chapter three, the comparative advantages and disadvantages of A.I.D. as a research funding source are outlined, and recommendations are made regarding the scope of A.I.D."s health research program and its management and coordination within the Agency. Seven priority research areas are identified: (1) low birth weight and strategies for prevention (emphasis on maternal infections); (2) health behaviors (including market research); (3) epidemiology (including development of an extensive field database); (4) cost-effective ways of preventing and treating diseases causing large numbers of lost school or work days; (5) barriers to immunization program effectiveness; (6) diagnostic tools; and (7) improved rehydration salts.