SciDev.Net

Laws to ensure native communities retain the rights to local knowledge are in reality a barrier to progress, says a report.

A radical new proposal for curbing HIV/AIDS has been met with concerns about its human rights implications.

Local laboratories could identify parasite samples by comparing them with a 'gold standard' on the web.

Biodiversity study corridors mooted for Himalayas, India's methane culprits pinpointed, Cyclone Nargis alters Myanmar river sediments, and more.

The damage caused by the HIV/AIDS policies of former South African president Thabo Mbeki, has been quantified.

Hospital admissions for childhood malaria have fallen dramatically in the past five years on the Kenyan coast, leading to new medical challenges.

A bottleneck in the production of the leading antimalarial drug – the plant-based artemisinin – could soon be eased.

Xechem International, the US-based company that owns the rights to a promising sickle cell anaemia treatment, has filed for bankruptcy.

Developing world ministers have launched a "Call to Action" that may redefine the goals of health-related research.

A Chinese company is suing the government for refusing to license its "effective" herbal HIV treatment.

The people who implement health policies should have a say in the setting of research agendas, the Bamako conference heard.

Zimbabwe repays missing vaccine money, Botswana plans a new dam to combat drought, Lesotho considers wind power, and more.

Strained relations between scientists and policymakers are hindering efforts to improve African health, warn experts.

Many countries have failed to invest sufficiently in health research since pledging to do so four years ago, but others have progressed.

A study finds that infectious diseases receive a disproportionately large amount of funding from the WHO.

Authorities have uncovered what they say are illegal and unsupervised drug trials on HIV positive cancer patients in Malawi.

Asian cities launch a roadmap for cleaner fuels, Pakistan monitors its carbon emissions, climate change at risk of neglect, and more.

A new vaccine, active against one type of polio virus, is more effective than a vaccine targeting all types, according to two studies.

The discovery, published by Brazilian researchers, will enable the development of new strategies to fight the dengue vector Aedes aegypti.

Disease money 'rerouted' in Zimbabwe, farming methods could halve Africa's poverty, the search for a HIV/AIDS vaccine continues, and more.