20 years ago, it was shocking neglect that led to DNDi’s creation

Faced with medicines that were ineffective, unsafe, unavailable, or unaffordable – or that had never been developed at all – doctors and health workers around the world lacked the tools they needed to ensure their patients’ health and survival. 

Together with partners who’ve been with us from the start and hundreds more who’ve joined us since, we have channelled shared frustration with that status quo into action: delivering 12 affordable new treatments for six deadly diseases. Innovating together, we have proven that a collaborative, not-for-profit model for pharmaceutical R&D can deliver for neglected patients. 

But neglect is not yet a thing of the past 

To overcome the medical innovation and access challenges of today and tomorrow, we need new ways of ‘doing’ R&D. R&D that harnesses scientific expertise and capacity in low- and middle-income countries and is steered to answer to the medical needs of the Global South. R&D that centres on equity and responds to the needs of poor and marginalized communities. R&D that pushes boundaries and ensures that people everywhere have access to the fruits of scientific progress.  

Throughout 2023, we’ll be joining with our friends and allies to look back at the advances our partnerships have made over two decades of collaboration – renewing our commitments, taking stock of the road we’ve travelled and lessons we’ve learned, and examining the obstacles we’ve yet to overcome. 

Marking the start of our anniversary year, we are introducing a refreshed logo, updated to incorporate the words ‘Best Science for the Most Neglected’ – a simple phrase that has defined who we are and what we do from the very beginning and that represents the ethos we know will continue to bind our partners together throughout DNDi’s next chapter.

We are deeply grateful to the partners and supporters who have made our work for neglected patients possible and look forward to many more fruitful years of innovating together. 

Please follow us on social media for news about our anniversary events this year.