A flailing economy and dire unemployment figures may have Americans wondering why the U.S. administration still wants to invest in global health R&D instead of channeling the money towards domestic pursuits. But there are some very compelling reasons for the country to continue investing in the sector.
1. To save lives
Thanks to the American investment in global health R&D, more than 140,000 lives are saved worldwide each year.
2. To create jobs opportunities for Americans
U.S. research and technological capacities are built and improved as product developers and U.S.-based researchers get more jobs and support when. Of every USD that the U.S. government spends on global health R&D, approximately 64 cents worth of benefits go to American product developers and researchers.
3. To prevent threats
A country like the U.S. has the financial, political and academic prowess to actively thwart new emerging threats for mankind. By investing in global health R&D, the country is able to better prepare humanity against future health threats.
4. To maintain a competitive edge
Unless the U.S. invests even more in global health R&D, it runs the risk of losing its competitive edge to countries like China that appear to be on their way to dominate global vaccine and pharmaceutical development/supply markets.
5. To Americans and soldiers abroad
U.S. citizens serving, working or traveling overseas also benefit from the country’s investment global health R&D as local interventions in foreign locations protect Americans from contracting deadly diseases.
6. To support American research universities
Global health R&D recipients promoted by federal funding allow global health programs to develop. These programs in turn allow U.S. research universities to fine tune their studies.
7. To promote cutting-edge medical discovery
The U.S. government funded the R&D for the international research collaboration called the Human Genome Project. The project’s findings were critical to the understanding of future outbreaks like H1N1 and SARS.
8. To develop export markets
When the U.S. invests in or partners up with an overseas health R&D project, it holds the potential to become a key partner/supplier to the market in the future.
9. To save future treatment cost
Introduction of the polio vaccine in 1988 has saved the U.S. nearly $180bn in subsequent treatment costs. By investing in health R&D abroad today, the U.S. saves the cost of providing medical treatment aid to overseas populations in the future.
10. To represent the sentiments of the American public
In 2011, a Research!America poll revealed that over 78% of American respondents want the U.S. to support global R&D in the health segment.