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| Sleeping sickness isn't on our research agenda because most victims are too poor to pay |
In this age of the booming information economy, we face new challenges to human progress. As seen in previous eras, the "invisible hand" described by Adam Smith as guiding the economy can be interrupted by certain expressions of self interest, such as monopolies and trusts.
A problem that the medical research community faces is an overemphasis on profit and an under-emphasis on people. Though medicine can never fully be dehumanized, we have seen repeated compelling examples of when medical research has been stalled, derailed, or falsified to meet business agendas.
In light of this ongoing conflict to bring the care for humans back into healthcare research, I would like to present five theses for your consideration.
