The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise a non-exclusive framework of cooperation to promote programmes and projects in the field of healthcare across Asia and the Pacific (APAC).
The collaboration aims to jointly focus on shared strategic and operational priorities, including neglected diseases with increasing prevalence due to climate change such as leishmaniasis and dengue; pandemic preparedness; and technology transfer for local manufacturing.
The MoU also focuses on enhancing gender-responsive research and development and developing therapeutics for pediatric populations living with neglected diseases. It commits to ensuring that innovations in control, diagnosis, therapeutics, and surveillance of neglected diseases are sex and gender-responsive, using sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis to understand and address differences in exposure risks, disease susceptibilities, prevention and treatment behaviours, and preferences in product design.
"This joint effort also prioritizes the critical importance of technology transfer for local manufacturing and the need to build therapeutic coalitions for pandemic preparedness,’ said Dr Kavita Singh, Asia Continental Lead & Office Director, DNDi.
