Health research fails its check-up

By SIMON COLLINS

Health research in New Zealand is in danger of falling below the level required to keep top scientists in the country, a Government-ordered study has found.

The 200-page report by the Australian Expert Group in Industry Studies (AEGIS) for the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology says New Zealand spends a smaller share of its income on health research than all but one of six benchmark countries.

The report backs a plea to the Government last year by the leaders of all 19 research programmes financed by the Health Research Council for an urgent boost in funding to stop scientists leaving the country.

The head of the cardioendocrine research group at Christchurch Medical School, Professor Mark Richards, said his 40-person group was "hovering on the brink of extinction or departure" because the council gave it only $2.25 million over three years instead of the $3.95 million it asked for.

"Right now I'm facing debt. I'm facing decisions about whether I can sustain the current staff numbers."

Auckland University researcher Dr Mark Rees, who came from Britain five years ago, returned to become a professor at the University of Wales this year because he could not get long-term funding for his research on genetic mutations that make some young people susceptible to sudden heart failure.

"We wanted as a family to stay longer, but it was just too stressful living on six-month and three-month contracts," he said.

"It's about time scientists got together and started lobbying Wellington. It's been far too quiet. It's time to go direct as a mob of scientists and go down there and say, 'We've got all this expertise here but we've got to invest in it, otherwise we'll lose it'."

The AEGIS report, posted on the ministry's website a month ago without any public announcement, says the money available for health research has been reduced by a decision to let universities charge "overheads" on top of the direct costs of hiring researchers and buying extra equipment.


The Government increased health research spending by $5.5 million in this year's Budget, to $47.7 million.

But the AEGIS report says an increase of $16.5 million will be needed by 2006-07 to cover the universities' overhead charges.

It recommends a further increase of $17.8 million a year above that to bring New Zealand more into line with what other countries spend on health research.

"The level of funding available for health research in New Zealand has decreased over the past decade, is now well below international standards, and is in serious danger of falling below a level necessary to sustain a functioning health research system," it says.

"New Zealand appears to be marking time in terms of health research funding while other countries are developing quite bold plans for expanding investments."

Otago University's Associate Professor Murray Thomson, who leads a long-term study of dental health in a group of Dunedin-born babies who are now 32 years old, said the Health Research Council rejected his bid for continued funding last year, when it financed only 25 per cent of the applications.

The dental study was picked up by the US National Institutes of Health, which rated it in its top 2 per cent of worldwide applications and gave it US$500,000 ($750,000).

"If we were not funded by the US, a dental study which is attracting interest from all over the world would have been stopped," Dr Thomson said.

The chairman of the Health Research Council, Professor Graeme Fraser, said the council accepted the finding that its research budget should be increased by $16.5 million to cover the universities' overheads.

"We do believe there is an urgent shortfall that needs to be addressed."

Health Minister Annette King's office referred questions to Science Minister Pete Hodgson, who is in China.

Professor Richards said Mr Hodgson's office had offered to arrange a further meeting with the 19 Health Research Council programme leaders in the next two months.

Who's spending what

Health research spending per cent of gross domestic product

USA 0.24

Sweden 0.17

Netherlands 0.15

Australia 0.06

Canada 0.06

NZ 0.04

Ireland 0.01

Source: AEGIS

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AEGIS Health Research Evaluation