Science, technology and the developing world

304 - Research ethics in developing countries (pdf 112KB)
Four page POSTnote, April 2008
The UK funds an increasing amount of biomedical research in developing countries. Research proposals are reviewed by research ethics committees, usually in both the UK and the countries where research is to take place. Exact ethical requirements vary according to national policy, funding body and research institution. A key international document on research ethics, the Declaration of Helsinki, will be revised in 2008. This POSTnote describes the types of research conducted in developing countries, the ethical review process and the arising issues.

284-Tackling malaria in developing countries (pdf 120KB)
Four page POSTnote, May 2007
Malaria is a parasitic disease responsible for the deaths of at least a million people every year, 90% of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. The greatest death toll occurs in children under five. Despite effective prevention and treatment methods, the burden of malaria remains high. The UK has agreed to the UN Millennium Development Goal of halting the spread of malaria by 2015. This note examines progress towards this target and considers the remaining UK and international priorities.

274-Food security in developing countries (pdf 128KB)
Four page POSTnote, December 2006
Food security and insecurity are terms used to describe whether or not people have access to sufficient quality and quantity of food. They are affected by factors such as poverty, health, food production, political stability, infrastructure, access to markets, and natural hazards. Improved food security is important for global reduction of hunger and poverty, and for economic development. One aim of the Millennium Development Goals is to reduce by half the proportion of people suffering from hunger by 2015. Currently, 820 million people are affected by hunger in developing countries and numbers are not falling quickly enough to achieve the goal, particularly in Africa and Southern Asia. This POSTnote examines food security in the developing world and options available for its progress, including increasing access to food and higher agricultural production.

269-Adapting to climate change in developing countries (pdf 122KB)
Four page POSTnote, October 2006
Climate change poses a serious threat to development and poverty reduction in the poorest and most vulnerable regions of the world. Minimising the impacts of climate change requires adaptation. In 2005, under the UK‚'s presidency, the G8 Plan of Action1 included an agreement to assist developing countries adapt to climate change. This POSTnote examines how adaptation to climate change is being approached in developing countries. It will also address the role of the international community and how the UK government is helping developing countries to build their capacity to adapt to climate change and assisting in adaptation.

241-Fighting diseases of developing countries (pdf 130KB)
Four page POSTnote, June 2005
Better drugs and vaccines are needed to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria and other tropical diseases. Pharmaceutical research has typically focussed on developing drugs, vaccines and other interventions for diseases prevalent in developed countries, where people can afford to buy treatments; it has tended to overlook those disorders that predominantly affect developing countries. This briefing outlines the extent of the problem, describes a number of recent initiatives to stimulate research and development (R&D) into diseases of the developing world and examines the UK policy issues associated with funding such research.

216 - Scientific capacity in developing countries (pdf 120KB)
Four page POSTnote, March 2004
Poverty, disease and environmental degradation hamper development in many countries and science and technology (S&T) can contribute towards addressing these problems. However, many developing countries have limited capacity to identify where and how S&T can help to tackle their problems. Development agencies, including the UK Department for International Development (DfID) are looking at ways to assist developing countries to build their S&T capacity as part of reducing poverty. This briefing outlines the link between science, technology and development, and efforts to build developing countries' S&T capacities.

210 - HIV/AIDS in developing countries (pdf 250KB)
Four page POSTnote, December 2003
HIV/AIDS is an increasing problem in developing countries. Bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) deliver a range of education, prevention and treatment initiatives, but the epidemic continues to grow. This note describes the scale of the epidemic, outlines recent policy initiatives and analyses the effectiveness of current programmes

191 - Access to Energy in Developing Countries (pdf 105KB)
Four page POSTnote, December 2002
Increasing access to energy in developing countries has proved to be a challenging and contentious issue within the international development community. Agencies are now realising the limitations of past energy-related interventions and undertaking a widespread review of policy in this area. In the UK, the Department for International Development (DFID) is currently embarking on a new approach. This briefing outlines the current scale of energy needs in developing countries, the issues associated with meeting these needs and the role of the UK in adopting a new perspective.

190 - Access to Sanitation in Developing Countries (pdf 114KB)
Four page POSTnote, December 2002
In 2000, 40% of the world's population lacked access to basic sanitation. At the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in the summer of 2002, the international community agreed to a target to halve the proportion of people who lack access to basic sanitation by 2015. This briefing outlines the scale of the challenge and reasons for improving access to sanitation. It also examines the technical, economic, social, and institutional issues that will be faced in delivering the target, and the UK's contribution towards that end.

178 - Access to water in developing countries (pdf 249KB)
Four page POSTnote, May 2002
Sufficient clean water is essential to everyone's wellbeing. Yet nearly 20% of the world's population does not have ready access to drinking water and 40% lack sanitation facilities. The vast majority of these people are in developing countries and the United Nations has identified water use as a priority for international aid. Access to water is now recognised as a key issue in development and therefore will be high on the agenda in August 2002, when world leaders meet in Johannesburg to address key issues affecting 'sustainable development'. This briefing outlines the technological, social, economic and political issues influencing sustainable water use and examines the UK's role in helping to increase developing countries' capacity in this area.

160 - Access to Medicines in the Developing World (pdf 149KB)
Four page POSTnote, July 2001
Access to pharmaceuticals, such as anti-HIV drugs, in the developing world has attracted much recent attention. It was discussed by the Council of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in June 2001 and has been the subject of trade disputes, a high profile legal case, and campaigns by charities such as Oxfam. This briefing outlines the international intellectual property (IP) regime and examines options through which developing countries can access effective treatments.