Dr Luis Pizarro is the Executive Director of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi),
an international medical research non-profit organization that delivered 13 new treatments since its creation 20 years by Doctors Without Borders,
the Institut Pasteur and the WHO. DNDi has offices in eight countries and works with over 200 partners worldwide.
ⓒKenny Mbala-DNDi
January 30th marks World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day, a significant day in global health. While neglected diseases are not rare – each year they affect more than 1 billion people worldwide –
nevertheless they do not attract much attention. World NTD Day serves to raise awareness about these horrible diseases, celebrate the progress made, and encourage further action.
It is also a good opportunity to highlight Korea’s significant role to play in developing better medicines for these devastating diseases and contributing to their elimination.
First, a few words about NTDs. Most Korean readers are likely unfamiliar with many of these diseases, such as leishmaniasis, river blindness, mycetoma, or sleeping sickness. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially lists 21 NTDs.
Some are lethal, like Chagas disease, which can lead to heart failure years after initial infection. Others, like cutaneous leishmaniasis, can be stigmatizing and lead to social exclusion because of the disfiguring scars they leave on the face. Some are exacerbated by climate change, such as dengue, for which half of the world’s population is at risk.
What NTDs have in common is that they affect the poorest communities, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty. I often remember a patient named Bimal, an Indian labourer living with HIV and visceral leishmaniasis. His illness has prevented him from working, keeping his family trapped in intergenerational poverty, as his 14-year-old son was forced to drop out of school to find a job and feed his parents and siblings.
Medicines against NTDs are often inadequate: they can be toxic, expensive, inaccessible, or not adapted to patients’ needs. Sometimes there are no treatments available at all. As NTDs affect predominantly impoverished people, there is no incentive for the commercially driven pharmaceutical research to develop better drugs.
And this is where South Korea can contribute: through medical innovation. Older readers might recall that decades ago, Korea struggled with numerous infectious and parasitic diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis and parasitic worms – some of them considered neglected. Not only did Korea succeed in eliminating them… but it is now in a position, thanks to its robust pharmaceutical industry and advanced research capabilities, to develop new medicines for neglected diseases.
A prime example of Korea’s commitment to combatting NTDs is the Research Investment for Global Health Technology (RIGHT) Foundation. Supported by Korean government and private sector, the organization fosters research to develop new treatments, diagnostics and vaccines for diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, and several NTDs, aiming to make these products accessible by everyone who needs them.
To quote the prominent American scientist Peter Hotez, the RIGHT Foundation ‘can serve as a model for other Asian countries.’ Its approach is innovative and collaborative: the Foundation partners with international organizations, leveraging Korea’s technological and scientific expertise to tackle long-overlooked diseases.
For instance, the Foundation finances a collaboration between my organization and Kolon Life Science to produce affordable active ingredients, using innovative manufacturing processes, to supply treatments against onchocerciasis. Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease that can cause severe itching and ultimately blindness. It is endemic in central and western Africa, affecting 19 million people.
Years ago, my organization also began a very fruitful collaboration with Institut Pasteur Korea, that is using an advanced technology called high-throughput screening to test millions of molecules against.
NTD pathogens to identify potential treatments. Several promising candidates were found and are now in clinical development.
These examples underscore not only Korea’s commitment to global health equity, but also its scientific prowess.
As we observe World NTD Day, we must acknowledge the significant progress made and the path ahead. Korea’s transformation from an NTD-affected nation to a leader in health innovation is both remarkable and inspiring. It is a testament to the power of science in transforming public health.
As Korea continues to emerge as a leader in health innovation, the expectations are high. The global health community looks to Korea for ongoing innovation in medical research, particularly in developing better, accessible treatments for NTDs.
Moreover, Korea’s leadership in global forums like the G20 and various international health organizations is crucial. We hope Korea will advocate for increased global funding for NTD research, which remains severely underfunded. Korea’s voice in these forums can be a powerful catalyst for change, driving more resources and attention to tackling NTDs.
Korea recently announced a plan to increase its ODA budget in 2024. This is great news, and we hope that a portion of this budget can be allocated to NTD research. With such a commitment, we can dream of a world free from NTDs; and Korea’s journey reminds us that with perseverance, innovation, and global solidarity, even the most neglected diseases can be eliminated.