Affiliations: National Centre for Immunisation Research and
Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The Children's Hospital at
Westmead and The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | University of South Asia, Dhaka, Bangladesh | Sydney Emerging Infections and Biosecurity Institute,
The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Harunor Rashid, National Centre for
Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The
Children's Hospital at Westmead, Cnr Hawkesbury Rd and Hainsworth St, Locked
Bag 4001, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. Tel.: +612 9845 1489; Fax: +612 9845
1418; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Despite the fact that developing countries carry more than 90 global
disease burden, only a small fraction of global medical research addresses
their problems. It is interesting to note that even in the field of acute
respiratory tract infections, a leading cause of mortality in poor settings,
there has been disproportionately little research performed in developing
countries. Using Bangladesh as an example, we discuss how clinical trials to
address the most important health problems of the developing world (that are
also of relevance to the developed world) have been and can continue to be
conducted in resource poor countries. To start with, we propose to conduct, in
partnership with colleagues from resource rich countries, an influenza vaccine
trial in Bangladesh to assess the efficacy of trivalent influenza vaccine, with
and without the addition of supplementary measures like the promotion of hand
hygiene in reducing pneumonia mortality among children under 5 years of age.
Such research may produce a win-win situation for both developed and developing
countries.
