FIND, a global health non-profit based in Geneva, Switzerland, has announced that two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) have been signed to deepen the existing relationship between FIND and the Republic of Korea, in pursuit of shared goals for diagnostic innovation, with a focus on increasing access to testing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

An MoU between FIND and the RIGHT Foundation, signed during the RIGHT Foundation’s fifth-anniversary forum in Seoul last week, will support investments in diagnostic platforms and rapid tests, as well as digital and other tools that can help expand access to testing in LMICs.

The RIGHT Foundation is a three-way partnership between the government of Korea, Korean life science companies, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, catalysing collaborations between Korean and international researchers, product developers and public health workers to develop essential health technologies that can improve health and health equity globally.

It follows signature of an MoU between FIND and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), at a co-hosted event on the side-lines of the BioKorea conference that took place in Seoul last month, which centres on supporting the diagnostics industry in the Republic of Korea to meet global health needs. KHIDI is a government-affiliated institute that aims to enhance the competence of the national health industry and improve public health.

Both MoUs leverage Korean capacity to make high-quality tests at scale, established sales and distribution channels for LMICs, and experience with global health donors and regulatory agencies – important capabilities that complement product development and delivery partnerships such as FIND.

Image caption- FIND's Executive Vice President of External Affairs Willo Brock (left) and RIGHT Foundation CEO Hani Kim