The Lancet: Funding for global health research in Germany

GHealth News – Over the past 15 years, Germany has strategically expanded its role in global health against the backdrop of geopolitical developments, upheavals, and crises to become one of the largest political and financial contributors in the field. One of Germany’s key priorities has been to fortify its strong but fragmented research landscape in global health. In January, 2020, a 5-year infrastructure programme from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF; costing approximately €3 million) culminated in the progressive establishment of the German Alliance for Global Health Research (GLOHRA), a national, interdisciplinary, and cross-institutional platform for global health research. Led by an interdisciplinary steering committee, the platform aims to foster innovative, equity-oriented global health research by building new cooperation channels between disciplines and communities in Germany and around the world. Since 2020, the platform has gained nearly 1000 members from diverse disciplines; has allocated €3·3 million in funding from BMBF, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ; from policy coherence funds), and other agencies to 21 research projects with partners in nearly 20 countries; and has supported more than 25 scientific workshops, training, and other events.

These initiatives, among others such as the Ministry of Health-funded Global Health Hub Germany, have improved global health infrastructure and addressed notable gaps in Germany’s global health landscape (eg, the scarcity of global health education opportunities and the sparse translation of scientific evidence into political action).

 The initiatives strengthened infrastructure for global health research and education, emphasised expertise that values social and cultural science, and fostered linkages between science, policy, and practice. These attributes are key for translating evidence into action and innovation to address challenges in global health. These impulses have enabled global health professionals, including international experts and early-career researchers, to strengthen profiles in global health research in Germany.

However, despite the effect of these initiatives in galvanising a coherent research landscape, dedicated national funding in Germany for collaborative and interdisciplinary global health research is uncertain and will probably not be continued given national budget constraints driven by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war against Ukraine. Current funding by BMBF and BMZ for GLOHRA ceases in January, 2025, and December, 2023, respectively, and BMBF has discontinued its funding for the National Research Platform for Zoonoses, which has been running since 2009. Although global health researchers can apply for regular national funding schemes, these are heavily skewed towards biomedicine or basic science (ie, as one of the German Science Foundation’s key funding principles). The COVID-19 pandemic has further fuelled the biomedical securitisation of global health research and action—both in Germany and across the world.

The lens of cross-disciplinary, equity-oriented, and translational global health research could be lost if researchers are supposed to compete with biomedical research. Addressing the challenges of global health—such as climate change, syndemics, One Health, and antimicrobial resistance—requires operative research, implementation science, and ongoing collaborations between disciplines and with non-academic partners.

A discontinuation of dedicated funding for global health research could also put at risk the German Government’s ability to spearhead and implement other major initiatives and activities, which should be informed and underpinned by evidence and evaluated independently. Large investments in global health research infrastructure and capacities are essential but should be sustained if Germany and the world are to fully benefit from their effects.

KB is an elected member of the steering committee of the GLOHRA. VS is a member of GLOHRA and the Global Health Hub Germany. KB is a principal investigator on one project funded by the Global Health Academy of GLOHRA, and a collaboration partner in another project. VS is a researcher on these two projects and is also the co-organiser of a training initiative funded by the same institution.

Source: The Lancet