Resist the Siege on Science: What is Your University Doing?
The 21st century has brought rapid progress in medical innovation, improving and saving the lives of billions. This is in danger of coming to a halt.
The rise of anti-intellectualism and anti-science rhetoric under the Trump administration has drastically affected the funding of US health and research programmes. And it’s not only the USA that’s affected. A ripple effect is threatening biomedical research and global health efforts across Europe, at a crucial time in addressing health disparities and global crises. This create a dangerous situation where neglected areas of health research and under-represented groups are at further risk of having decades of work disrupted or abandoned.
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines believes in a research and development system that equitably represents the public’s needs.
Universities are a hub for huge amount of biomedical innovation, and these devastating changes to the funding landscape could slow down progress on our campuses too. While these changes to the funding landscape are concerning, they also represent new opportunities for:
Research institutes to commit to making progress in disease areas that affect the most vulnerable groups in our global community, and prioritising inclusivity in research
Meaningful collaborations with Global South partners to create a ore resilient and representative R&D system
A shift away from the prioritisation of profits over people
