A group of international partners announced a new, coordinated push to accelerate progress toward eliminating or controlling 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by the end of the decade. Uniting efforts with NTD-endemic countries, partners pledged to bring a unique focus to defeating these diseases and to work together to improve the lives of the 1.4 billion people worldwide affected by NTDs.

Webcasts available on YouTube:

  • Webcast of the whole event here
  • Webcast of the “Innovation and New Tools” session here
    [Dr. Pécoul speaks at 2’55”-5’42”]

    Interview on RFI
    :
  • Bernard Pécoul summarizes the outcome of the event on Radio France Internationale

Highlights:
New Commitments for Innovation were announced by pharmaceutical companies, among them one by Abbott and DNDi
A joint ‘London Declaration’ was issued by all the partners
DNDi welcomed commitments from various partners to NTDs and emphasized the need to fill the major gaps in R&D

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Bernard Pécoul was one of the speakers, among Bill Gates, Margaret Chan, Stephen
O’Brien (DFID), and CEOs of leading pharmaceutical companies (see Agenda for more details)

Agenda

Video and Opening Remarks
Riz Khan, Moderator

Setting the Stage

Dr. Margaret Chan, World Health Organisation
Stephen O’Brien, UK Department for International Development
Dr. Donan Mmbando, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Tanzania
Sir Andrew Witty, GlaxoSmithKline
Bill Gates, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Innovation in Program Management with Existing Tools

Dr. Ariel Pablos-Méndez, US Agency for International Development
Dr. Stefan Oschmann, Merck KGaA
Dr. Alexandre Lourenço Jaime Manguele, Ministry of Health, Mozambique
Haruo Naito, Eisai

Innovation in Technology and New Tools

William Weldon, Johnson & Johnson
Dr. Bernard Pécoul, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative
Christopher A. Viehbacher, Sanofi
Dr. AFM Ruhal Haque, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh
Paul Carter, Gilead

Realizing the 2020 Goals

Dr. Caroline Anstey, World Bank
Joseph Jimenez, Novartis
Kenneth Frazier, MSD
Jarbas Barbosa da Silva, Jr., Ministry of Health, Brazil
Adama Traoré, Ministry of Health, Burkina Faso

Q&A

Press Releases

DNDi Press Release (available in English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese):
Filling R&D Gaps Key to Succeeding in NTD Control and Elimination Goals by 2020

London Event Press Release (English):
Private and Public Partners Unite to Combat 10 Neglected Tropical Diseases by 2020

DNDi-Abbott Press Release (English):
DNDi and Abbott Expand Partnership to Boost Innovation for Neglected Tropical Diseases

London Declaration on NTDs

“We believe that, working together, we can meet our goals by 2020 and chart a new course toward health and sustainability among the world’s poorest communities to a stronger, healthier future”
London declaration on neglected tropical diseases

Commitments

Table of commitments by pharmaceutical companies
DNDi Backgrounder on industrial partners

Further Information

www.unitingtocombatntds.org