The governments of developed and developing nations have been urged to introduce research programs to reduce the variation in health among their communities. The proposal is contained in two documents arising from the World Conference on Science, organized jointly by the United Nations Educational and Science Organization (UNESCO) and the International Council for Science (Budapest, June 26th–July 1st). They aim to establish the principles for a "new social contract" between science and society.

The explicit reference in both documents—the "Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge," and the "Science Agenda: Framework for Action"—to the need to promote science in the interests of public health was introduced at the suggestion of the British government. Earlier drafts had made virtually no mention of the potential contribution of science to meeting health problems.

The final version of the "Declaration" document now states that governments and scientists "should address the complex problems of poor health and the increasing inequalities in health across different countries and between communities within the same country."

The "Framework" document advocates the introduction of "regional research programs aimed at reducing variations in health among communities, such as collecting good epidemiological and other statistical data."

The final documents also gave explicit recognition to the potential value of "traditional forms of learning and knowledge," as well as emphasizing that its commercialization should be "properly rewarded." The latter reflects concerns at the way foreign pharmaceutical companies have exploited traditional herbal medicines and incorporated these into new products, often without any payment to the communities that originally developed them.