DNDi R&D Making Progress, But More Leadership, Coordination, Funding Needed

“For the past 10 years, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) has been involved in research and development (R&D) for neglected diseases around the world, developing six new treatments for malaria, sleeping sickness, kala azar and Chagas,” IRIN reports. The news service provides statements from several people who attended a recent two-day event in Nairobi, Kenya, where “more than 400 scientists, government health officials and members of the organizations that make up DNDi agreed that while significant progress has been made in the fight against several neglected diseases, better leadership, coordination and funding will be necessary to eliminate them from the continent.” According to IRIN, “[I]t is not just health systems that need improvement; poor road networks, inadequate local research capacity, corruption, conflict and the remoteness of many of the areas where these illnesses are found all hinder efforts to control neglected tropical diseases.” In addition, “[b]uilding the capacity of African governments and research facilities will … be important for the fight against neglected tropical diseases,” the news service writes (6/6).

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