Close to one-third of deaths worldwide ape from diseases which are preventable or treatable with existing vaccines and drugs. Yet, half the world's population, including some 1.5 billion children, lack regular access to essential therapeutic drugs. Due to the global economy, the ease and frequency of world travel, immigration, and the emergence of drug-resistant infectious diseases, the health problems of the developing world are now everyone's problems. In order to ensure that our shared future is a healthy one, the world's wealth and wisdom must be shared as well. One way in which the expenditure of resources in the developed world in particular the United Stares, will result in a sharing of knowledge with the developing world is through the United States pediatric studies initiative, which will increase the availability of reliable prescribing information for drugs used in children. The ultimate goal is to make sure that drugs essential for the health needs of the world's children are available, affordable, and properly used.
