Disease research funding neglects 'developing world killers'

Australia ranks ninth in the world among countries funding research on deadly but neglected diseases.

A study funded by the Gates Foundation has found total spending on such research hit $US2.5 billion ($3.91 billion) in 2007.

But 80 per cent of the funds go to just three diseases - HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Study leader Doctor Mary Moran from the George Institute for International Health, says some of the biggest killer diseases remain neglected.

"The number one killer in the developing world is pneumonia. Diarrhoeal illnesses also take a big toll and in the region diseases like dengue are quite important," Dr Moran said.

"So it was very striking that some diseases were getting say between 10 and 40 per cent of funding and most of the rest of them were getting under 5 per cent."