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Published online 27 February 2008 | Nature 451, 1037 (2008) | doi:10.1038/4511037a
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Neglected diseases get vaccine research boost
Drug company opens non-profit centre in Italy.
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has opened a non-profit research institute in northern Italy to develop vaccines for neglected diseases prevalent in the developing world.
The new Novartis Vaccines Institute for Global Health is based in Siena, the home of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics.
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Diarrhoeal diseases are rightly considered diseases of the poor. Indeed, they are mainly caused by lack of water, poor sanitation, lack of hygiene, bad quality of food: in one word 'poverty'. It would be much better if big pharma spent its funding to real action to relieve poverty, rather than on vaccine for the poors. A good start would be educational programs, particularly for girls, provision of clean water and sewage systems, proper housing and clothings, and equilibrated food.