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DNDi - Best Science for the Most Neglected 20 Years
  • DNDi - Best Science for the Most Neglected 20 Years
  • Our work
    • Diseases
      • Sleeping sickness
      • Visceral leishmaniasis
      • Cutaneous leishmaniasis
      • Chagas disease
      • Filaria: river blindness
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      • Cryptococcal meningitis
      • Hepatitis C
      • Dengue
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Home > Our people > Leadership > Founder
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BernardPecoul2019

Dr Bernard Pécoul

Founder, DNDi

Dr Bernard Pécoul led the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) from its foundation in 2003 until 2022. Under his guidance, DNDi – a not-for-profit research and development organization – with hundreds of public and private partners, has delivered twelve new treatments for six deadly diseases. It has developed a robust portfolio of projects spanning from discovery to implementation for sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, filaria, mycetoma, HIV, hepatitis C, and COVID-19.

After stepping down from his position of Executive Director of the organization in September 2022, Dr Pécoul remains one of the major stakeholders of DNDi and lifelong advocate for better access to medicines.

Prior to DNDi, Dr Pécoul was Director of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines from 1998 to 2003, a position he took on after that of Executive Director of MSF-France. While working with MSF, Dr Pécoul carried out field missions in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. In 1988, he co-founded Epicentre, an MSF-affiliated NGO specialized in epidemiology.

After obtaining his medical degree at the University of Clermont-Ferrand, France, Dr Pécoul earned a master’s degree in public health at Tulane University, USA. In 2012, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree by the University of Dundee, UK. In 2020, Dr Pécoul was awarded the Prince Mahidol Award in the field of public health by the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, Thailand.

Dr Pécoul is member of the Joint Coordination Board of the Special Programme for Tropical Disease Research (WHO/TDR) and a former board member of UNITAID’s Medicines Patent Pool.

 

Featured news & publications

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  • A ‘simple career’: The untold story of Bernard Pécoul and a paradigm shift in global health
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  • 「顧みられない人にイノベーションを」ベルナール・ペクールDNDi前代表
  • Reboot biomedical R&D in the global public interest
  • Dr Bernard Pécoul, Founder of DNDi, receives Prince Mahidol Award and strengthens partnerships in Thailand

Featured events

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  • Kigali Summit on Malaria and NTDs
  • WorldLeish 7
  • A PR3 Challenge: Preparedness and response in the era of systemic environment and health crises
  • South-South Leadership: Working together on medical R&D to meet the needs of all patients, the example of dengue
  • Prince Mahidol Award Conference 2022

Our global footprint

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Doctors talking with patient in hospital

DNDi DRC

Female healthcare worker taking care of a little girl

DNDi Eastern Africa

Drug discovery activities

DNDi Japan

Female patient discussing with doctor

DNDi Latin America

Female doctor with a patient in a hospital

DNDi North America

Community worker talking with people in a rural village

DNDi South Asia

Malaysian doctor talking with a man in a hospital

DNDi South-East Asia

Little boy looking at the camera in a hospital

DNDi Southern Africa

Bernard Pécoul discussing with Joanne Liu at an event

DNDi Switzerland

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