basic knowledge about immunity factors that play a role 

 in such diseases as cancer. 



This program might, for example, support research 

 on long-term immunization against malaria and various 

 parasitic diseases; heat-stable vaccines for diseases 

 such as measles and malaria; simplification of the BCG 

 vaccination procedure for tuberculosis; new products 

 and packaging for oral rehydration, particularly for 

 children with cholera and other severe diarrheas; and 

 delivery mechanisms in areas without electricity for 

 immunizations and medications that presently reguire 

 refrigeration. Much of this work would be done most 

 effectively in developing countries. Thus U.S. 

 research support should achieve some balance between 

 support of domestic institutions and their subsidiaries 

 abroad and the development and strengthening of 

 institutions in developing countries. 



Alleviation of the priority diseases will probably 

 reguire investment of a decade or more in research and 

 clinical trials before advances can be applied on a 

 wide scale. Therefore, a buildup of trained personnel 

 is needed in the United States as well as in developing 

 countries to form an expanded next generation of 

 laboratory researchers, epidemiologists, and program 

 planners and managers. Investment of fiscal, human, 

 and organizational resources in biomedical research 

 issues should not, however, detract from investment in 

 basic health, nutrition, and family planning delivery 

 systems in developing countries, which are of egual or 

 higher priority. 



8. Improved Contraceptives 



Greater support for basic, biomedically oriented 

 contraceptive research at U.S., international, and 

 developing country institutions would benefit both 

 developed and developing countries. Present methods, 

 although much improved over past ones, are far from 

 satisfactory; all have drawbacks due to inconvenience 

 of use or delivery, medical complications, lack of 

 adaptation to specific country situations, or lack of 

 cultural or moral acceptability. 



Improved contraceptive technology was given high 

 priority in the World Population Plan of Action adopted 

 unanimously by 135 nations at the U.N. World Population 

 Conference in 1974. More recently, the reproductive 

 sciences and contraceptive development were 

 systematically reviewed by more than 160 experts from 

 26 nations. Their report called for a significant 

 increase in research in this field (Greep et al. 1976) . 

 A variety of improved methods is needed, since the 

 diversity of the world's culture and peoples, and the 



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