Respiratory research funding is inadequate, inequitable, and a missed opportunity

Abstract

COVID-19 has placed respiratory medicine at the centre of health responses worldwide, but lung health was a major global challenge long before the current pandemic. More than 1000 people die of asthma and more than 2000 children die of pneumonia daily, and lung cancer is the most common cancer type in terms of incidence and mortality. Most of this enormous burden has fallen on people in the south and vulnerable populations in high-income economies. These are diseases of poverty, and disadvantages further compound inequity through increased disability, loss of productivity, and high health costs. As a major driver of ill health and poverty, the burden of respiratory disease remains a global rate-limiting step towards achieving health equity, economic growth, and Sustainable Development Goals.

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© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30329-5

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https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/respiratory-research-funding-is-inadequate-inequitable-and-a-missed-opportunity(ca3162b0-29b4-4548-aa69-19e3d85ff71c).html