Funding for research and development into neglected diseases has increased for the first time in recent years, driven by investments from the United States, a new report has found.

For the last 10 years, two-thirds of all funding has come from just two donors. What does that mean and how has that affected R&D in neglected diseases, and what can we expect over the next decade?

But other governments should be encouraged to “set the bar even higher” and make sure major diseases including tuberculosis are not left behind, health advocates warned.

The G-FINDER report, released on Wednesday, tracks investments in drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, microbicides, and vector control products and also basic research across 33 neglected diseases — a group of diseases that lead to approximately 6.4 million deaths per year and disproportionately affect people in developing countries. A smaller commercial market means the diseases typically struggle to attract sufficient research and development.

The 10th edition of the report, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, revealed that between 2015 and 2016, $3.2 billion was invested in neglected disease R&D — an increase of 3.4 percent on the previous year, and the first annual increase since 2012.

Read the source article on neglected diseases by Sophie Edwards at Devex International Development