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Your suggestions to spend $ 1 billion to "turn promising science into patient benefits" are worth it, but do not go beyond the current fashion – artificial intelligence, rare diseases, antibiotic resistance, and so on. ("The Right Way to Spend $ 1 Billion Health Care," editorial, May 25.) A more imaginative approach might be to find better diagnostic tools.
Meningitis is the second leading cause of death among infectious diseases in children under five. Yet, the current diagnostic method is over 40 years old and involves taking fluid in the spine for laboratory badysis. This requires skills, specialized facilities and, most importantly, time, as this condition is notoriously difficult to diagnose and can kill in hours. It is also generally impossible in Indian villages or rural areas of Africa, far from hospitals and laboratories.
The whole world, rich and poor, needs a new diagnostic test for meningitis simple, fast and inexpensive. That would save thousands of lives – and we think it could be developed for $ 10 million!
Dr. Brian Scott
Chair,
Meningitis Research Foundation,
Bristol, United Kingdom
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