In a world where 2 billion people l

In a world where 2 billion people live in homes that don’t have light bulbs, technology holds the key to banishing poverty, says the United Nations in a major report published this week. But rich nations and multinational corporations need to do a lot more to put technology in the hands of the world’s poorest people.

Even the simplest technologies can transform lives and save money. Vaccines, crops, computers and sources of solar energy can all reduce poverty in developing countries. For example, cheap oral-re-hydration therapy developed in Bangladesh has dramatically cut the death toll from childhood diarrhoea.

But then there has been a “market failure to meet the needs of the poor”, says lead author Sakiko Fukuda-Parr. “There’s no global framework for supporting research and development that addresses the common needs of poor people,” she says.

Multinationals must become part of the solution, because they own around 60 per cent of the world’s technology. But they seldom make products for poor customers. Of 1223 new drugs marketed worldwide from 1975 to 1996, for example, just 13 were for tropical diseases.

“It’s the big corporations that own the technology that really should read this report,” says Fukada-Parr. “We’re asking them to be more socially responsible.” They could do more to provide vital products such as medicines at different prices around the world to suit what people can afford (New Scientist, 7 July, p6). Or pledge a percentage of their profit toward research and development for the poor.