Tokyo/Nairobi – The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has been awarded the fifth Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize in the Medical Services category. The global non-profit medical research organization was honoured today in a ceremony in Tokyo presided over by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan and hosted by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

The Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, the highest medical honour bestowed by the Government of Japan, is awarded every five years in recognition of outstanding contributions to medical research and services in Africa. It commemorates the legacy of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, a pioneering Japanese bacteriologist who dedicated his life to research and ultimately lost his life while studying yellow fever in Africa. DNDi was recognized for its transformative work in developing and delivering new treatments for neglected diseases that disproportionately affect the continent.

“This award is a powerful testament to a model of medical innovation that is driven not by profit, but by patients’ needs—a model where African scientists are at the forefront of the fight against diseases that have long burdened our communities,” said Professor Samuel Kariuki, DNDi Continental Lead for Africa and Eastern Africa Director. “DNDi was founded on the principle that Africa should not have to wait for others to solve our most pressing health challenges. We remain committed to ensuring that no disease is overlooked simply because it affects the poorest and most vulnerable.”

Established in 2003 by KEMRI and six other founding partners, DNDi has spent the past 22 years building a new paradigm for African-led health innovation. To date, the organization has delivered 13 new treatments for six deadly neglected diseases, nine of which were developed out of its African offices and clinical sites.

DNDi’s work spans the continent, with clinical trials conducted in partnership with institutions across the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda. Among its key achievements is the delivery of fexinidazole, the first all-oral cure for both stages of sleeping sickness, a deadly disease transmitted by the tsetse fly. DNDi has also conducted the world’s first randomized clinical trial for mycetoma, advanced new treatments for leishmaniasis, and developed improved treatments for children living with HIV.

“As a founding partner of DNDi, KEMRI is immensely proud to see this organization receive such prestigious recognition for its outstanding contributions and for our shared commitment to combating neglected diseases,”said Professor Elijah Songok, Director General of KEMRI. “This prize demonstrates unequivocally that when African institutions lead research initiatives, we achieve a profound global impact. It validates the critical role African research institutions play in advancing health equity worldwide.”

The other laureate of the fifth Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, in the Medical Research category, is Dr. Abdoulaye Djimdé from the Republic of Mali, honoured for his groundbreaking work on malaria treatment and control. Previous laureates include Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum (DRC), Professor Miriam K. Were (Kenya), Professor Peter Piot (Belgium), Dr. Salim S. Abdool Karim and Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim (South Africa), and the Guinea Worm Eradication Program of the Carter Center.

DNDi extends its deepest gratitude to the Kenya Medical Research Institute for its nomination and to the Government of Japan for this honour, which reinforces a shared commitment to medical innovation and to improving the lives of the world’s most neglected patients.