Science Policy in Latin America
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SCIENCE POLICY INLATIN AMERICA SUBSTANCE Mc~. PSTRUCTURES PROCESSES PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office of the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 1966 20469 H ra SCIENCE POLICY INLATIN AMERICA Substance, structures, and processes Report of a Study Group prepared for the PAHO Advisory Committee on Medical Research Scientific Publication No. 119 March 1966 PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION Pan American Sanitary Bureau - Regional Office of the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 525 Twenty-third Street, N.W. Washington, D.C., 20037, U.S.A. 1 PAHO ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL RESEARCH Dr. Hernán Alessandri Dr. Niels K. Jerne Ex-Decano, Facultad de Medicina Chairman, Department of Microbiology Universidad de Chile School of Medicine Santiago, Chile University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Dr. Roberto Caldeyro-Barcia Jefe, Servicio de Fisiología Obstétrica Dr. Horace W. Magoun Facultad de Medicina Dean, Graduate Division Montevideo, Uruguay University of California Dr. Carlos Chagas Los Angeles, California Diretor, Instituto de Biofisica Dr. Walsh McDermott Universidade do Brasil Chairman, Department of Public Health Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Cornell University Medical College Dr. Ignacio Chávez New York, New York Rector, Universidad Nacional Dr. Anthony M.-M. Payne Autónoma de México Chairman, Department of Epidemiology México, D.F., México and Public Health Dr. René Dubos Yale University School of Medicine Professor and Member New Haven, Connecticut The Rockefeller Institute New York, New Dr. Marcel Roche York Director, Instituto Venezolano de Dr. Bernardo A. Houssay Investigaciones Científicas Director, Instituto de Biología y Caracas, Venezuela Medicina Experimental Buenos Aires, Argentina Dr. James A. Shannon Director, National Institutes of Health Dr. Alberto Hurtado Bethesda, Maryland Decano, Facultad de Medicina Cayetano Heredia Dr. J. C. Waterlow Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Tropical Metabolism Research Unit Médicas y Biológicas University of the West Indies Lima, Perú Kingston, Jamaica Professor Abel Wolman Emeritus Professor of Sanitary Engineering and Water Resources TheJohns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland SECRETARIAT Dr. Raymond B. Allen Dr. Mauricio Martins da Silva Chief Deputy Chief Mr. Louis Munan Research Scientist Office of Research Coordination PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION Washington, D. C. 20037 iii PAHO STUDY GROUP ON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH POLICY IN LATIN AMERICA Dr. Ernani Braga Dr. Charles V. Kidd (Chairman) Diretor Executivo, Federaçao Pana- Technical Assistant, Office of Science mericana de Associagoes de Facul- and Technology, Executive Offices of dades de Medicina, Rio de Janeiro, the President, The White House, Brasil Washington, D.C. Dr. Dieter Koch-Weser (Consultant) Dr. Herbert T. Dalmat (Secretary) Associate Professor, Departments of Tropical Health and of Demography Scientist Director, Research and Train- Human Ecology, Harvard Uni- ing Grants Branch, Division of Air and Pollution, Bureau of State Services, versity School of Public Health, Washington, D.C. Boston, Massachusetts Dr. J. C. S. Paterson Dr. Hernando Groot Director, Division of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University Vice-Rector, Universidad de los Andes, Medical School, New Orleans, Bogotá, Colombia Louisiana This report contains the collective views of an international group of experts and does not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the Pan American Health Organization. iv CONTENTS Page FOREWORD ............................................... vii 1. Introduction .......................................... 1 2. Observations and Recommendations ...................... 5 3. Why Research? What Kind and How Much? .............. 10 4. Obstacles and Opportunities ............................. 17 5. Organization-Universities and Institutes ................. 23 6. Organization-National Functions ....................... 31 7. External Influences ..................................... 39 8. International Functions and Organizations ................. 44 Appendices A. A Study of the Structures and Processes Through Which Decisions Relating to Public Health and Biomedical Re- search are Made in Latin America ..................... 51 B. The Colombian Institute for Advanced Training Abroad (ICETEX) ......................................... 53 C. The Mexican National Institute for Scientific Research (IMIC) ............................................ 55 D. The National Research Council of Argentina (CNICT) ..... 56 E. National and Regional Organizations for Research and Higher Education in Brazil .......................... 60 F. The National Health and Welfare Fund of Peru ........... 67 G. The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) ............. 68 H. Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) .......................................... 69 v 1 FOREWORD The Study Group wishes to express its grati- as the study proceeded it became evident that tude for the opportunity to work on an im- biomedical research comprises a large share of portant subject that both calls for concerted the total research of many Latin American consideration by the entire Hemisphere and has countries, that most aspects of policies for it tremendous potentialities for the betterment of could not be realistically abstracted from the mankind. The Group is grateful to the Pan total problem of science policy, and thar most American Health Organization for making the of the observations and recommendations made undertaking possible. would have to deal with the whole rather than The Group has been conscious of the with the parts. Therefore, while the primary admirable dedication of distinguished scientists concern of the report continues to be biomed- and men of affairs from all parts of the Hemi- ical research, it necessarily covers broader sphere who have worked for years on the prob- ground. lem to which this report is addressed. Many Another point that became apparent was that contributed directly to the report, and many the questions of interest to the Study Group more made indirect contributions. The Group have been of concern to numerous people. In has also been aware of efforts to put into effect addition, many kinds of facts relevant to the many of the measures again recommended in work of the Study Group were available. this report. The hope of the Group has been Accordingly, the Study Group discovered little that its work can contribute to this continuing that was new with respect to individual coun- endeavor to lift and broaden the level of re- tries. The central effort has been to synthesize search in Latin America. observations made in specific countries, and The origin of the present report was a pro- the judgments of many informed people, into a posal by the Advisory Committee on Medical report that would be primarily analytical rather Research of the Pan American Health Organi- than descriptive. The report is directed mainly zation that the way in which Latin American toward observations and recommendations that countries set their general policies for bio- may be helpful to those admirable leaders in the medical research be the subject of a special Latin American countries who have the difficult study. This report, the outcome of that sug- task of dealing in the real world with the prob- gestion, is focused on biomedical research, but lems set forth. vii 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The task of the Study Group the British Caribbean. They were selected as being broadly representative of nations with The present report was prepared for the different traditions, political systems, and PAHO Advisory Committee on Medical Re- levels of income. Not only did they provide a search by a study group, an ad hoc organization diversified sample, but they also covered about established by the Director of the PASB on the 90 per cent of the biomedical research in Latin advice of the Advisory Committee. The task it America, measured in terms of people involved was requested to undertake was an examination or of investment. The sample was not intended of national policies for biomedical research in to be representative in any statistical sense but Latin America. rather to serve as an adequate basis for general The purpose of the inquiry was not to ex- conclusions. If time, funds, and personnel had amine the state of research itself-that is, the been adequate, all the countries in Latin areas of investigation, the relative strengths of America would have been studied. various fields, and so forth-but rather to study the general conditions under which research is conducted, the factors in various countries that tend to promote or retard research or to in- 1.2 Study procedure fluence the field of investigations, the formal organizations for research, and the attitudes As the first step in this study, the Chairman of governments toward research. The inquiry of the Group prepared a brief prospectus, was directed toward biomedical research, but which was distributed to its members (see the nature of science is such that it was not Appendix A). This served as the basis for a possible or desirable to confine it to that field meeting in Washington, D.C., at which the alone. Group discussed its task in detail. This meeting This report synthesizes the findings and was followed by a period of work by the entire recommendations of the Study Group. These Group in Mexico City for a dual purpose-to are derived in substantial part from the obser- examine the essentials of the Mexican struc- vations made by its