SciDev.Net

Less than one-tenth of all population-based research into dementia has been directed towards the two-thirds or more of all people with dementia who live in developing parts of the world — thus, the name "10/66".

Part of the Alzheimer's Disease International Network, 10/66 is a group of researchers who encourage active collaboration between research groups in different developing countries and between developed and developing countries. The research projects have included pilot studies to establish a method for diagnosing dementia in populations with very little formal education; qualitative studies to understand the experience of people with dementia and their carers; intervention studies that investigate whether local community health workers can contribute to care by identifying people who need help; and population-based studies to quantify prevalence and incidence in developing countries.

The 10/66 Group is part of Alzheimer's Disease International and is coordinated through Prof. Martin Prince from the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London.

FOUR50 is building a network of experts, activists and enthusiasts committed to preventing the epidemic of chronic disease and raising awareness about its devastating consequences. It aims to do this by focusing on the 3 risk factors (poor diet, lack of physical activity, tobacco use) that lead to four chronic diseases (CVD, diabetes, chronic lung diseases and some cancers) contributing to more than 50% of deaths worldwide.

This is a virtual library of Latin American social science papers maintained by the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO). It provides open and free access to more than 4,000 full-text books, periodical articles and other documents, in Spanish.

This is a portal to the websites of associations that aim to advance our understanding of oncology and how to better treat patients with cancer, both in the developed and developing worlds.

Each partner association is represented in the portal with a website describing and providing information relating to the organisation, its structure, news, research projects, activities, membership, resource information, selected links, and so on.

Cancerworld also hosts the Cancer Media Service, operated by the European School of Oncology and aimed at journalists. The independent service aims to put cancer research into context, which it does by publishing well written and easy-to-read summaries of the latest cancer research. Perhaps even more useful is its list of resources for journalists that includes links to several medical dictionaries and cancer organisations worldwide.

An international NGO, TWNSO was founded at the initiative of the Third World Academy of Sciences by ministers of science and technology and higher education and heads of science academies and research councils in developing countries to promote science-based sustainable economic development.

The Global Forum for Health Research provides evidence, tools and discussion forums for decision-makers in research funding and policy to improve the health of the poor. Although it covers issues for both infectious and non-communicable diseases, the agency recognises that mental health problems are severely neglected in developing countries. As well as links to various publications and reports, the website also hosts RealHealthNews, which aims to share news on research and interventions that can improve the health of those in developing countries.

IASO is an umbrella organisation for 52 national obesity associations across 56 countries. Its mission statement is to "improve global health by promoting the understanding of obesity and weight-related diseases through scientific research and dialogue, whilst encouraging the development of effective policies for their prevention and management."

The organisation is strongly advocacy-based and publishes frequent statements aimed at policymakers on how to tackle obesity. The website also contains detailed data on the global prevalence of obesity. Since obese people are often at high risk for other diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, the website also outlines these risks, offering links to other relevant associations.

The INCTR is dedicated to helping build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries in which such capacity is limited. The network, which has support from the US National Cancer Institute, aims to build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries with limited resources through long-term collaborative projects coupled to training and educational programmes. It also seeks to promote international collaboration on cancer control between developed and developing countries. The INCTR is located at the Institut Pasteur in Brussels but also has branches in the US, France, Brazil, Egypt and Nepal and offices in the UK, India and Tanzania. The website contains details of the network's activities in various countries.

The centre is a WHO collaborating centre for research and training in the control of cardiovascular disease, and also prevention and rehabilitation for patients in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The centre strongly advocates evidence-based health policies as the only way to promote health. Its focus on prevention led to the Isfahan Health Heart Programme, a community programme to promote healthier lifestyles to prevent non-communicable diseases.

Knowledge for Development is a web-based source of information on science and technology for agriculture and rural development in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. It promotes collaboration between agricultural research and development scientists and technologists in ACP countries, and facilitates dialogue between ACP and European communities with the aim of strengthening policy formulation on science and technology issues.

This website contains a number of useful documents on biofuels and biotechnology in ACP countries.

The National Academy of Sciences of Bolivia is a public, autonomous institution,dedicated to the promotion of science through research.  And fostering science, technology and innovation through its different institutes and affiliated organizations.

SSI was set up in 2001 to facilitate sharing of resources among research groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America in order to increase competitiveness and optimise scientific opportunities. It provides assistance for proposal development through annual workshops and helps organise annual training courses on leading-edge technology for tropical disease research application in disease endemic countries.

The principal aim of TWAS is to promote scientific capacity and sustainable development in the South through research as well as South–South and North–South collaborations. It was founded in 1983 by a group of Southern scientists, under the leadership of Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, as an autonomous international organisation. Fellows are citizens of the South; associate fellows are citizens of the North who were born in the South or have made significant contributions to science in the South.

The Commission is an intergovernmental and international organisation aimed at the uplift of developing countries through applications of science and technology. Established in 1994 at the instigation of Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, it has 21 member countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. It runs meetings and workshops as well as a network of centres of excellence in selected areas of science and technology.