DNDi has been named the recipient of the 5th prestigious Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize in the medical services category, as announced today by the Government of Japan.
‘This Prize is an immense honour for DNDi. We would like to sincerely thank the Prize Committee and the Government of Japan for shining a light on the millions of vulnerable and forgotten people who are killed, disabled, or impoverished each year by deadly infectious diseases – diseases that, unfortunately, remain neglected in pharmaceutical research,’ said Dr Luis Pizarro, Executive Director of DNDi.
‘At a time of global retreat from multilateral support for global health, this recognition and support from the Government of Japan for the most neglected is both timely and deeply encouraging. We are humbly following in the footsteps of Dr Hideyo Noguchi by conducting clinical trials across the African continent and developing better treatments for diseases affecting African communities, included visceral leishmaniasis, mycetoma, sleeping sickness, cryptococcal meningitis, and river blindness,’ added Dr Pizarro.
‘Our patients urgently need better, safer, and more field-adapted affordable medicines. Since our creation 22 years ago, we have developed and delivered 13 new treatments for neglected diseases, many of which play a significant role in disease elimination. The development of the first oral treatment for sleeping sickness, which was specifically recognized in this award, is the result of the invaluable partnerships we have built with universities, laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, and donors around the world,’ said Daisuke Imoto, DNDi Japan and Business Development Director.
‘To tackle and ultimately eliminate neglected diseases, research and innovation are key. That is why our partnerships, which bring together Japanese and African knowledge and resources in this common endeavour, are so important. I would also like to commend the Japanese Government for its leadership in raising the profile of neglected tropical diseases in international forums, ensuring that these diseases are not forgotten and that research continues to receive the support it needs,’ concluded Daisuke Imoto.
The Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize was established in 2006 by the Government of Japan in honour of the Japanese medical scientist Dr Hideyo Noguchi (1876-1928), who dedicated his life to bacteriological research and died while studying yellow fever in Africa. The prize highlights fundamental medical and clinical research and celebrate the efforts of organizations and individuals tackling infectious diseases affecting primarily African communities.
DNDi will receive the award for the medical services category, which focuses on ‘field-level medical/public health activities to combat diseases and advance public health’. The award ceremony will take place in August 2025 to coincide with the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9).
The Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize is awarded every three years and is accompanied by a citation, a medal, and 100 million yen.
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 13 new treatments, saving millions of lives. dndi.org
Media contacts
For interview requests, please contact:
- Yoko Noda in Tokyo (Japanese/English): ynoda@dndi.org | +81 70 4465 5453
- Edith Magak in Nairobi (English): emagak@dndi.org | +254 780 862 049
- James Arkinstall in Geneva (French/English): jarkinstall@dndi.org | +41 79 392 9823
Photo credits: Brent Stirton/Getty Images
