The Dutch Postcode Lottery has awarded a EUR 1 million grant to the not-for-profit medical research organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) to support DNDi’s Innovation for Children programme to develop new and better treatments for children affected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
Even though over half a billion children are affected by NTDs each year, in many cases treatments are either unavailable or do not exist in formulations that are appropriate for children. Where treatments do exist, they are often complex and cannot be administered in local health clinics close to families’ homes. Compounding this issue, practitioners often lack evidence-based guidance on how to safely administer existing drugs to children, especially infants, and young children.
‘This grant will support our efforts to tackle the systemic and unacceptable inequality faced by children affected by neglected diseases,’ said Dr Luis Pizarro, Executive Director of DNDi. ‘We want to thank the Dutch Postcode Lottery and all lottery players for their generosity. Their precious support will enable us to develop new treatments needed for young patients, ensure access to medicines, and openly share the results of our research for the benefit of the global health community.’
Children are disproportionately at risk of infection, illness, and death caused by infectious diseases that thrive in poor and vulnerable communities, primarily in low- and middle-income countries.
Each year, millions of young lives are lost or permanently scarred and debilitated by diseases that can largely be prevented, controlled, or treated. In the traditional, profit-driven model of drug development, children have long been neglected, and paediatric formulations are often never developed at all.
Since its creation in 2003, DNDi has developed four affordable treatments for malaria, Chagas disease, and HIV that are specifically designed for children and that have saved millions of lives – as well as treatments for sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis that are proven suitable for both children and adults. DNDi is now expanding its paediatric R&D portfolio by including children early in clinical development planning to target safer, simpler, child-friendly treatments.
‘Thanks to the players, we can make this great contribution to the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative. At the Postcode Lottery, we support charities that work towards a fair, healthy, and green world in which we don’t lose sight of anyone,’ said Jonne Arnoldussen, Managing Director of the Nationale Postcode Loterij. ‘The grant we have awarded to DNDi makes it possible for this organization to create a lasting improvement in many children’s and their parents’ lives.’
Ensuring that all children and their caregivers enjoy their full right to health and access to safe, effective treatment is critical to breaking the cycles of poverty and illness that continue to cause immense human suffering and inflict huge social and economic damage on affected countries – costing the equivalent of billions of euros every year.
About the Dutch Postcode Lottery – together we make a difference
The ‘Nationale Postcode Loterij’ (Postcode Lottery) was founded in 1989 to support charities that work towards a fair, healthy and green world. The lottery raises funds for its charities and communicates about their work.
At the Postcode Lottery, your postcode is the basis of your lottery number. As a result, you win together with your neighbours. There are now 3 million players in the lottery, who have a chance to win hundreds of thousands of prizes every month and support 148 charities with at least 40 percent of the lottery ticket prize. Since the start of the Postcode Lottery, more than 7.3 billion euros have been donated to people and planet.
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative and many other organizations receive support every year.
The Postcode Lottery and the Friends Lottery form the National Charity Lotteries Holding. As a Dutch tradition, these lotteries are included in the Inventory Intangible Heritage (UNESCO) list. The Postcode Lottery format is also active in Great Britain, Sweden, Germany and Norway. The Charity Lotteries together with the lotteries in these countries are one of the largest private donors to charities in the world. www.postcodeloterij.nl
About DNDi
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not-for-profit medical research organization that discovers, develops, and delivers safe, effective, and affordable treatments for neglected people. DNDi is developing medicines for sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, river blindness, mycetoma, dengue, paediatric HIV, advanced HIV disease, cryptococcal meningitis, and hepatitis C. Its research priorities include children’s health, gender equity and gender-responsive R&D, and diseases impacted by climate change. Since its creation in 2003, DNDi has joined with public and private partners across the globe to deliver twelve new treatments, saving millions of lives. dndi.org
Media contacts
Frédéric Ojardias (DNDi Geneva)
fojardias@dndi.org
Phone: +41 79 431 6216
Photo credit: Fábio Nascimento-DNDi
