The Government is to provide €1 million in funding for Irish researchers working on health-related projects for developing countries.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, through its overseas aid budget, will fund the research through the Health Research Board over the next two years.
Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Conor Lenihan, said this was a timely initiative to strengthen cooperation between the official aid programme and Irish institutions, in the context of the expanding aid budget.
"This cooperation will build on Ireland's existing support for health research through the aid programme. In 2005, the government spent €7 million on research and development for new drugs and vaccines for HIV/Aids, TB and malaria," he said.
Mr Lenihan said he hoped the project would mark the beginning of closer cooperation between the Departments of Health and Foreign Affairs in relation to a range of issues facing the world's poorest countries.
"For example, Africa is experiencing a critical shortage of health workers. Through the aid programme we work with countries on training and retention of health workers."
The Minister said, however, that Ireland must establish good practice to ensure that we are not, in effect, "poaching" health professionals from developing countries.
Mr Lenihan also noted the particular challenges posed by HIV/Aids, not only by the disease itself but also by the economic and social problems resulting from it.
Today's announcement was also welcomed by Dr Jim Kiely, the State's Chief Medical Officer, and by Prof Des Fitzgerald, chairman of the Health Research Board.
A first call for proposals for research projects will be announced in January.