IN THIS ISSUE, PROFESSOR HEATHER MACLEAN OF CIVIL ENGINEERING CITES ONE factor as the key to solving Mexico City’s air pollution problem – political will. “The governments in Mexico City and surrounding areas want to fix this problem,” she says. “That is most the essential first step…Without (political will), no amount of expertise can help.”

The same can be said for the initiatives announced by federal Finance Minister John Manley in his February 18 budget. From the perspective of Canadian research universities, this budget is the best news we have had in years. Now, we have a permanent funding program to contribute to the indirect costs of research incurred by universities, as well as a host of other important investments – Canada Foundation for Innovation funding for state-of-the-art health facilities, $105 million in support for graduate students (60% of which will flow to the social sciences and humanities), significant boosts to the budgets of the federal granting councils, and $20 million to the Medical and Related Sciences (MARS) complex in Toronto.

In addition to these important tools, we also have clear evidence that the Government of Canada truly understands what it takes to generate landmark research, scholarship and innovation in all academic disciplines and is prepared to provide the financial investment to bring great thinking and ideas to life for the benefit of people in Canada and around the world. We appreciate this support and value the Government’s commitment to universities, especially in the face of so many other important needs and demands.

With this funding and political will in place, the University of Toronto has also taken the next essential step in shaping research and scholarship for years to come through the appointment of Professor John Challis as our new Vice-President, Research. Professor Challis will also carry the title of Associate Provost, reflecting the close integration of research with all aspects of the university’s academic mission.

As the biography of Professor Challis on page three of this issue will attest, he is absolutely the right choice for this vital position. An internationally renowned and talented scientist, a brilliant teacher, a skilled senior university administrator, he also brings the one essential extra quality needed in this role – he understands the impact university research makes on our society and is eager to widen and deepen that impact. These combined qualities make John a leader the university – and Canada – are fortunate to have.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the past nine months that I have served the university as Interim Vice-President, Research & International Relations. As I write this, I am preparing to pass the baton to John Challis and focus on my ongoing duties as Vice-President, Policy Development and Associate Provost. It was an honour for me to continue the work of former Vice-President (and now Principal of McGill University) Professor Heather Munroe-Blum and I look forward to seeing John thrive in his new role.

OVER A BILLION PEOPLE ENTERED THE NEW MILLENNIUM UNTOUCHED BY THE health revolution of the previous century.

For these people, it is as if the medical advances of the last 100 years simply never happened. Life expectancy in industrialized countries like Canada is about 80 years and rising; in many developing countries, especially in Africa, life expectancy is 40 years and falling. This represents among the most pressing ethical challenges in the world today.

Genomics is being heralded as the next stage of the health revolution. This new field is expected to produce better diagnostics, new preventive measures and accelerated drug discovery. Most genomics and other biotechnologies, however, are being applied to the health problems of industrialized nations, creating concern that the world is witnessing the formation of a “genomics divide” between North and South. This inequity, if unchecked, will result in even greater disparities in health, as wealthier countries become healthier, and the spread of infectious disease, the rise in chronic illness and persistent environmental pollution continue to degrade health and hold back progress in developing countries.

While better health for all is an end in itself, the link between health and economic development is also motivation to spread the medical benefits of biotechnology worldwide. Along with improvements in health come higher productivity, economic expansion and reduced population growth as couples become confident that their children will survive into adulthood.

In April 2002, the World Health Organization released a report stressing the potential of genomics for improving the health of the world’s poor. While the preparation for that report was underway, a team from the Joint Centre for Bioethics at the University of Toronto – a WHO collaborating centre – took the work of WHO a step further by conducting a biotechnology foresight exercise to identify the top 10 biotechnologies with the greatest promise of improving global health within a decade, particularly in the world’s poorer countries. The study, funded by Genome Canada, the Ontario Genomics Institute, the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund and other partners, represents the collective opinion of 28 eminent international scientists and experts in genome-related technology and global health issues.

THE TOP 10 LIST INCLUDES:

• Genetically-engineered vaccines that are cheaper, safer and more effective than current vaccines, and which hold new promise in fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (e.g., DNA technology to design an AIDS vaccine candidate specifically for Africa)
  
• Alternatives to needle injections (e.g., inhalable drugs, powdered vaccines) that could make vaccine and drug delivery safer, easier to administer and potentially less expensive
  
• Genetically-modified bacteria and plants that can clean up contaminated air, water and soil
  
• Vaccines and vaginal microbicides to enable women to protect themselves against sexually transmitted infections
  
• Genetically-modified staple foods such as rice, potatoes, corn and cassava with enhanced nutritional value

This list debunks the myth that biotechnology cannot provide tools for disease prevention and health promotion. Vaccines are “high tech” but are also the mainstay of prevention of infectious disease worldwide.

While we hope this report will receive the serious consideration of health and science ministers worldwide, and of the international donor community, the potential of genomics and other biotechnologies must not overshadow the proven utility of conventional approaches, such as health education and the alleviation of poverty. Biotechnology should be seen as one more available tool, with all of its associated strengths and weaknesses, to improve the state of the world’s poor. This balance is critical.

Peter Singer is Director of the Joint Centre for Bioethics. Abdallah Daar is the Director of the JCB’s Program in Applied Ethics and Biotechnology. For their full report, visit www.utoronto.ca/jcb.