Every year, the world faces new infectious disease outbreaks. If little or no drugs and vaccines are available to face such a threat, this causes a huge impact on Global Public Health (GPH) and local economy. Africa bears approximately 25% of the world’s disease burden. For instance, at least one fourth of its population is suffering from tuberculosis, while at the same time this continent is facing a fast-growing drug resistance against tuberculosis. In 2017, the World Health organization (WHO) estimated that around 92% from 219 million global cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in Africa. In sharp contrast, Africa only hosts 2% of all clinical trials for tuberculosis. Moreover, an estimation from WHO pointed out that in 2015 79% of all pharmaceutical drugs in Africa were imported [1-3].
Empowering resource limited settings (RLS), often found in developing countries, is crucial to ensure a healthier global future and decrease such disparities in drug development and clinical trials. How can we drive innovation within RLS? One strategy is aimed at increasing the capacity by training local people in core drug development subjects. Also, establishing a network with strategic public-private partnerships (PPPS) for tailored R&D projects, supplemented with grant applications for R&D project funding, can move this forward.