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FIND’s Intervention on Science for Health and Economic Growth: Building Sustainable Domestic Science Ecosystems at Plenary Session 4 of the 4th G20 Health Working Group meeting

Delivered by Dr Ifedayo Adetifa
12 June 2025

FIND commends the South African G20 Presidency for prioritizing science and innovation as foundational for resilient health systems and economic development. We welcome the proposal to establish a WHO Commission on Science for Health and Economic Growth and look forward to contributing insights from our work on diagnostics.

Diagnostics are not only a gateway to better health, they are also a powerful economic lever. The latest G-FINDER report shows that improved diagnostics for HIV/AIDS account for 30% of lives saved from R&D investments. Yet nearly half the world’s population still lacks access to basic diagnostic tools.

FIND has worked globally to close this gap. In Senegal, we supported the establishment of diaTROPIX, a regional manufacturing platform with UNITAID. In India, we partnered with national institutions to support the development and validation of indigenous TB diagnostics.

We have heard today how countries like Thailand, South Africa, and others are driving innovation for science and economic growth. We will be exploring other such country-led experiences at the co-branded event we are co-hosting with the South African Presidency and CSIR later today. We warmly invite all G20 members and partners to join us.

Based on our experience, we offer three recommendations:

  1. Embed diagnostics in national health strategies, using diagnostic roadmaps and essential diagnostics lists to guide investments.
  2. Ensure sustained, targeted financing, including ringfenced public funds and catalytic capital.
  3. And finally, strengthen collaboration, including South-South partnerships and engagement with global PDPs like FIND.

Thank you