Brazil and India Join the Top Ranks of Governments Supporting Research

Brazil and India are now among the top five government supporters of research into third-world diseases, according to a study issued last week, which found that middle-income nations are taking on more of the burden of ills afflicting their poorest citizens.

The study, by the George Institute for International Health, based in Australia, found that nearly $3 billion was spent last year on new drugs or products for such diseases. Brazil and India took the lead on leprosy and dengue fever and, with South Africa, supported much of the research for meningitis and pneumonia.

“For some neglected diseases, the traditional reliance on charitable funding and donor aid is being replaced by a market and domestically driven R & D,” said Dr. Mary Moran, the report’s chief author.

Americans are still by far the largest backers. Between them, the National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided nearly 60 percent of the financing.

In total, the United States government provided $1.3 billion; the European Commission gave about one-tenth as much. Britain came third, followed by Brazil, India, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Canada and Norway.

When nongovernment financers are counted, the pharmaceutical industry collectively was the third-largest after the N.I.H. and the Gates Foundation.

Just three diseases — AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis — received 73 percent of the research money.