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Global human burden and official development assistance in health R&D: The role of medical absorptive capacity

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  • Williams, Christopher

Abstract

We investigate country-level determinants of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in health R&D with a focus on levels and types of human suffering as well as levels and types of medical absorptive capacity. Using latest data from a range of sources and various tests on large numbers of countries in receipt of health R&D ODA, we find support for the central assertions that human burden has a direct positive impact on receipt of health R&D ODA and that medical absorptive capacity in the recipient country moderates this relationship. The relationship between human burden and health R&D ODA receipt does not hold for countries low in medical absorptive capacity. Additional analysis reveals: (1) medical absorptive capacity that involves regular patient contact has the strongest moderating effect on the burden – funding relationship, (2) receipt of health R&D ODA under low levels of medical absorptive capacity explained not by human burden but by small country bias, and (3) the importance of nurses to health R&D ODA in countries with high levels of human suffering and health R&D ODA but voids of doctors and clinical trials.

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  • Williams, Christopher, 2021. "Global human burden and official development assistance in health R&D: The role of medical absorptive capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(10).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:50:y:2021:i:10:s0048733321001621
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2021.104365
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    1. Yaqub, Ohid & Coburn, Josie & Moore, Duncan A.Q., 2023. "Knowledge spillovers from HIV research-funding," SocArXiv gcuhn, Center for Open Science.

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