Celebrating the birthday of Breakthroughs: The best of the GHTC blog

It’s been a busy twelve months for the team at the Global Health Technologies Coalition! A year ago today, we launched Breakthroughs with the intention of sharing global health research and development (R&D) news and stories that bridge the divide between science and policy. Since that time, there have been a number of advances we’ve applauded and stories that have touched us. Here are some of our team’s favorite posts:

• This year has been another interesting and non-traditional one for congressional action on the federal budget. In a series of blog posts, we took a look at the potential for budget cuts and sequestration, and explored what this might mean for global health R&D.
• What do presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney (R) and Barack Obama (D) think about R&D? We gave some attention to how the nominees’ platforms might affect research to develop new global health technologies.
• One of the year’s most exciting scientific advances was the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the drug Truvada to be used as an HIV prevention prophylaxis among certain groups at risk for infection. We explored how FDA has developed an increasingly critical role in global health.
• Last year, Congress approved and funded the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, intended to promote research aimed at speeding the development of therapeutics and diagnostic tools for a wide range of diseases. While we’ve been excited about the potential for this program to speed the development of new global health technologies, we were disappointed in the lack of global health leadership when the center’s advisory council was named earlier this year.
• Our communications officer reflects on her personal journey with diabetes, and the difficulty that children in the developing world face when being diagnosed for neglected tropical diseases.
• A series of photos from our travels tell the story of how lifesaving tools are making a difference in communities across Kenya, and how current research is on the cusp of developing some of the most exciting new tools in global public health in recent years.

We’ve featured a range of great guest bloggers as well. On World AIDS Day, leaders at the NIH and the Department of Defense both wrote about the impact their agencies have on research to help end the AIDS pandemic. Guest blogs from the US Agency for International Development and the Global Health Initiative team highlighted the importance of science, technology, and innovation to our nation’s diplomacy programs.

From the need to advance women’s health and address contraceptive needs, to the gaps in the development of drugs for neglected tropical diseases, to efforts to develop new TB treatment regimens and a TB vaccine, our coalition members illustrated the critical need for an investment in science to address a range of diseases and conditions.

We’ve been busy working on a few other projects this year, too. In February, we released our third annual policy report at a congressional briefing, and April brought our first analysis piece on US investments in global health R&D.

It’s been quite a year, and we’re glad that you’ve been along with us for the ride! We’re confident that Breakthrough’s second year will be full of the same policy developments and excitement, breaking news from our members, and great stories of how R&D is changing lives. We hope that you stay tuned.