Concerns Raised About Medical Philanthropy

As more and more wealthy people are financing medical research through their philanthropy, some people are concerned that government might decide to reduce its spending on efforts to combat disease, reports The New York Times.

Nicolas de Torrente, executive director in the United States for Doctors Without Borders, also notes that donors do not have to keep financing medical research. “What happens if they change their mind or de-emphasize something?”

But philanthropic support of medical research has advantages, too, the article notes. Donors often pay for approaches that government and companies consider risky or controversial, such as stem-cell research. What’s more, they say donors move far faster than government entities.