• DNDi - Best Science for the Most Neglected 20 Years
  • Our work
    • Diseases
      • Sleeping sickness
      • Visceral leishmaniasis
      • Cutaneous leishmaniasis
      • Chagas disease
      • Filaria: river blindness
      • Mycetoma
      • Paediatric HIV
      • Cryptococcal meningitis
      • Hepatitis C
      • Dengue
      • Pandemic Preparedness
      • Antimicrobial resistance
    • Research & development
      • R&D portfolio & list of projects
      • Drug discovery
      • Translational research
      • Clinical trials
      • Registration & access
      • Treatments delivered
    • Advocacy
      • Open and collaborative R&D
      • Transparency of R&D costs
      • Pro-access policies and IP
      • Children’s health
      • Gender equity
      • Climate change
      • AI and new technologies
  • Networks & partners
    • Partnerships
      • Our partners
      • Partnering with us
    • Global networks
      • Chagas Platform
      • Dengue Alliance
      • HAT Platform
      • HELP Helminth Elimination Platform
      • LEAP Platform
      • redeLEISH Network
    • DNDi worldwide
      • DNDi Switzerland
      • DNDi DRC
      • DNDi Eastern Africa
      • DNDi Japan
      • DNDi Latin America
      • DNDi North America
      • DNDi South Asia
      • DNDi South-East Asia
      • DNDi Southern Africa
  • News & resources
    • News & stories
      • News
      • Stories
      • Statements
      • Viewpoints
      • Social media
      • eNews Newsletter
    • Press
      • Press releases
      • In the media
      • Podcasts, radio & TV
    • Resources
      • Scientific articles
      • Our publications
      • Videos
    • Events
  • About us
    • About
      • Who we are
      • How we work
      • Our strategy
      • Our donors
      • Annual reports
      • Our prizes and awards
      • Our story: 20 years of DNDi
    • Our people
      • Our leadership
      • Our governance
      • Contact us
    • Work with us
      • Working at DNDi
      • Job opportunities
      • Requests for proposal
  • Donate
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
      • Mycetoma
      • Paediatric HIV
      • Cryptococcal meningitis
      • Hepatitis C
      • Dengue
      • Pandemic Preparedness
      • Antimicrobial resistance
    • Research & development
      • R&D portfolio & list of projects
      • Drug discovery
      • Translational research
      • Clinical trials
      • Registration & access
      • Treatments delivered
    • Advocacy
      • Open and collaborative R&D
      • Transparency of R&D costs
      • Pro-access policies and IP
      • Children’s health
      • Gender equity
      • Climate change
      • AI and new technologies
  • Networks & partners
    • Partnerships
      • Our partners
      • Partnering with us
    • Global networks
      • Chagas Platform
      • Dengue Alliance
      • HAT Platform
      • HELP Helminth Elimination Platform
      • LEAP Platform
      • redeLEISH Network
    • DNDi worldwide
      • DNDi Switzerland
      • DNDi DRC
      • DNDi Eastern Africa
      • DNDi Japan
      • DNDi Latin America
      • DNDi North America
      • DNDi South Asia
      • DNDi South-East Asia
      • DNDi Southern Africa
  • News & resources
    • News & stories
      • News
      • Stories
      • Statements
      • Viewpoints
      • Social media
      • eNews Newsletter
    • Press
      • Press releases
      • In the media
      • Podcasts, radio & TV
    • Resources
      • Scientific articles
      • Our publications
      • Videos
    • Events
  • About us
    • About
      • Who we are
      • How we work
      • Our strategy
      • Our donors
      • Annual reports
      • Our prizes and awards
      • Our story: 20 years of DNDi
    • Our people
      • Our leadership
      • Our governance
      • Contact us
    • Work with us
      • Working at DNDi
      • Job opportunities
      • Requests for proposal
  • Donate
Home > Press releases

DNDi receives 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation

The award, the most prestigious in Spain, gives much-needed visibility to millions of people neglected by policymakers and commercially driven pharmaceutical research

Home > Press releases

DNDi receives 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation

The award, the most prestigious in Spain, gives much-needed visibility to millions of people neglected by policymakers and commercially driven pharmaceutical research

Doctor with young patient
OVIEDO/GENEVA — 11 Oct 2023
Share on twitter
Share on facebook
Share on linkedin
Share on email
Share on print
  • English
    • English
    • Español
    • Português

The international not-for-profit medical research organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) will be awarded the 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in a ceremony presided over by Their Majesties the King and Queen, and attended by Their Royal Highnesses the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia, on Friday 20 October in Oviedo, Spain. 

The award, the most prestigious in Spain, recognizes DNDi’s accomplishments in delivering new, safe, effective, affordable, and accessible treatments for some of the world’s most neglected diseases. Previous laureates in the International Cooperation category include the World Health Organization (WHO), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Red Cross, Amref Health Africa, and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. 

‘More than a billion people belonging to the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged populations – half of whom are children – suffer from a group of diseases that cause severe social stigma and millions of deaths each year. These are diseases neglected by research, industry and commercial development,’ wrote the jury to explain its decision. 

‘In its twenty-year history, the initiative has developed numerous treatments for these serious diseases. Its strategy includes an ambitious plan to develop new drugs and treatments that will improve healthcare and save millions of lives worldwide.’ 

Other laureates of the Princess of Asturias awards in 2023 include Meryl Streep (Arts); Nuccio Ordine (Communication and Humanities); Hélène Carrère d’Encausse (Social Sciences); Eliud Kipchoge (Sports); Haruki Murakami (Literature); Jeffrey Gordon, E. Peter Greenberg, and Bonnie L. Bassler (Technical and Scientific Research); and Mary’s Meals (Concord). 

‘We are immensely grateful for this award, which is a fantastic opportunity to give visibility to the millions of people who are neglected by policymakers and commercially driven pharmaceutical research,’ said Dr Luis Pizarro, Executive Director of DNDi. 

DNDi was created 20 years ago when Médecins Sans Frontières used a portion of its Nobel Peace Prize proceeds as seed money to found DNDi, along with the Indian Council of Medical Research, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil, the Kenyan Medical Research Institute, the Malaysian Ministry of Health, and the Institut Pasteur of France, with the participation of the WHO. 

‘We have delivered 12 new treatments in 20 years thanks to close collaborations with universities, industrial partners, national authorities, and research institutes in the countries most affected by these diseases. For example, we are developing new oral medicines against sleeping sickness that open the door to eliminating this fatal disease,’ Dr Pizarro said. 

‘We will continue to work together to bring the best science to the most neglected people, and we are grateful for all the support we can receive from Spain, a country that has played an important role in driving medical research for neglected diseases. In particular, thanks to its scientists, research institutes, and funders, Spain has been an essential ally in our research programme for Chagas, a neglected disease endemic to Latin America that affects 6 million people worldwide and for which existing treatments are not satisfactory.’ 

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. Collaborations with Carlos III Institute, Fundación la Caixa, Fundación Medina, Fundación Mundo Sano Espana, ISGlobal, MSF-Spain, the Royal Academy of Medicine of Spain, and many other Spanish partners and supporters play an essential role in accomplishing its mission. dndi.org 

Media contact

In Madrid 
Terín Beca 
tbeca@extern.dndi.org  

In Geneva  
Frédéric Ojardias 
+44 79 431 62 16 
fojardias@dndi.org 

In Rio (DNDi Latin America office) 
Marcela Dobarro 
+55 21 9 81149429 
mdobarro@dndi.org 

Photo credit: Kenny Mbala-DNDi

Spain Europe

Read, watch, share

Loading...
Doctor with patient in hospital setting
Press releases
5 Dec 2023

Cryptococcal meningitis: new report highlights slow uptake of guidelines shown to reduce deaths in Africa

Healthcare worker with patient
Press releases
3 Dec 2023

Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW grants funding to fast-track access to medicines for poverty-related and neglected diseases

Laboratory staff working
News
3 Dec 2023

DNDi commits to cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030

People entering the Mycetoma Research Centre
Videos
23 Nov 2023

Mycetoma: Neglected but not Forgotten

Nurse caring for patient with a lesion on the feet
Press releases
23 Nov 2023

World’s first clinical trial for devastating fungal disease mycetoma shows efficacy of new, promising treatment

People standing under tents at the Run for Neglected Patients
News
23 Nov 2023

DNDi@20 charity run shines the spotlight on neglected diseases in Kenya

Viewpoints
20 Nov 2023

Africa Statistics Day: Statistics save lives, especially those of neglected patients

Africa Uncensored
Viewpoints
11 Nov 2023

DNDi: 20 years of delivering treatments for neglected patients

MSF Access Campaign Blog
VIEW ALL

Help neglected patients

To date, we have delivered twelve new treatments, saving millions of lives.

Our goal is to deliver 25 new treatments in our first 25 years. You can help us get there. 

GIVE NOW
DNDi - Best Science for the Most Neglected 20 Years
Facebook-f
Twitter
Instagram
Linkedin-in
Youtube
International non-profit developing safe, effective, and affordable treatments for the most neglected patients.

Learn more

  • Diseases
  • Neglected tropical diseases
  • R&D portfolio
  • Policy advocacy

Get in touch

  • Our offices
  • Contact us
  • Integrity Line

Support us

  • Donate
  • Subscribe to eNews

Work with us

  • Join research networks
  • Jobs
  • RFPs
  • Terms of Use   
  •   Acceptable Use Policy   
  •   Privacy Policy   
  •   Cookie Policy   
  •   Our policies   

  • Except for images, films and trademarks which are subject to DNDi’s Terms of Use, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Switzerland License