Dubai Health has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the non-profit research and development organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) at World Health Expo Dubai (WHX). 

The agreement was signed by Dr. Hanan Al Suwaidi, Deputy CEO and Chief Academic Officer of Dubai Health and Provost of Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Dr. Luis Pizarro, Executive Director of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), in the presence of His Excellency Nicolas Niemtchinow, Ambassador of France to the UAE, and Thi Hanh Cao, Director of External Relations at DNDi. 

The partnership establishes a framework for collaboration in medical education, research, and clinical training, with a shared goal of improving health outcomes for underserved populations affected by neglected infectious diseases. It brings together DNDi’s global expertise in needsdriven drug discovery and development and Dubai Health’s integrated academic health system to support research and capacitybuilding across priority global health areas. 

Under the agreement, students from Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), the learning and discovery arm of Dubai Health will take part in DNDiled programs, including fieldwork and clinical research activities in Africa and Asia. These programs provide handson exposure to patients affected by neglected diseases and to the full spectrum of drug discovery, development and public health delivery. DNDi experts will also contribute to MBRU academic programs, supporting twoway academic and professional exchange. 

The collaboration will begin with joint research scoping to identify priority projects. It will involve active faculty engagement through guest lectures, curriculum development, student cosupervision, joint grant applications, and collaborative research publications. 

The partnership will also encompass collaboration in drug discovery, clinical trials, regulatory science, and public health policy, with a particular focus on viral diseases, pandemic preparedness, and fungal infections. In addition, it will support joint initiatives in the application of artificial intelligence to health research, as well as the coorganization of scientific conferences and workshops and the dissemination of knowledge on key global health challenges. 

Dr. Luis Pizarro, said: “Neglected diseases disproportionately affect the world’s most vulnerable populations and are often overlooked by traditional research models. Through this partnership with Dubai Health, we aim to advance scientific progress while helping train the next generation of global health leaders to deliver more equitable health solutions.” 

Dr. Hanan AlSuwaidi, said: “This partnership represents a meaningful step forward in how we prepare our students and researchers to engage with the world’s most pressing and complex health challenges. By partnering with DNDi, we are giving our learners direct access to real-world drug development, clinical research, and global health practice. It reflects our commitment to advancing health for humanity by ensuring that care, learning, discovery, and giving are driven by purpose and real-world impact.”