Sadly, the developed world seems to be so unwilling to donate money to the prevention of disease in the developing world that backers of two worthy initiatives to develop vaccines for children may end up fighting over the same small pot of funds (see page655). Promoters of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul, who realized that there is new money in the (until recently) booming economies of Asia, have succeeded in winning substantial Korean government support for the institute's construction and 30 per cent of its running costs. But some officials of the World Health Organization (WHO) are concerned that, in pursuing the remaining $10 million or so a year that will be needed to run it, the new institute may eat into the small $30-million pie of the WHO-backed Children's Vaccine Initiative which is itself responsible for the institute.

Both initiatives seek to provide vaccines to prevent disease in children with, in the case of the Seoul institute, a focus on the developing world, and in particular Asia. Is the world so poor it cannot afford the $40 million required to support both initiatives? There were some understandable — but misguided — concerns that the institute was a Korean attempt to tap into Western vaccine technology for the benefit of Korean industry. But the establishment of a distinguished international board of trustees to oversee the institute and a clear statement that it will not engage in the sale of vaccines should dispel such fears. The developed world, including Japan and the United States, should chip in with support.