FIND 501(c)(3) is a non-profit foundation that develops and implements new diagnostic tests for infectious and neglected diseases

Neglected Diseases

The neglected diseases are a group of tropical infections which are especially endemic in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Different organizations define the set of diseases differently...

 in developing countries. FIND headquarters are located in Geneva (Switzerland), with offices in Kampala (Uganda) and New Delhi (India).

In 2011, FIND was recognized as an “Other International Organization” by the Swiss Government, alongside DNDi and Medicines for Malaria Venture.

History

FIND was founded at the World Health Assembly

World Health Assembly

The World Health Assembly is the forum through which the World Health Organization is governed by its 194 member states. It is the world's highest health policy setting body and is composed of health ministers from member states....

 in 2003, with an initial five-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...

.

Activities

FIND focuses mainly on tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

, malaria

Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...

 and human African trypanosomiasis (HAT).

Research and development

FIND supports the R&D of promising reagents or platforms and oversees their evaluation and demonstration in both laboratory and field trials. FIND also collaborates with public health authorities in developing countries to demonstrate the feasibility and programmatic impact of new technologies on patients and disease control programmes. New products are then submitted to WHO

Who

Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...

's Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) for assessment.

Implementation

In 2006, FIND and partners also started working on laboratory strengthening and implementation of WHO

Who

Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...

-approved diagnostic technologies in disease-endemic countries, in accordance with WHO policy recommendations.

Partnerships

Although it has its own unique business model, FIND functions in a similar way to Product Development Partnerships

Public-private partnership

Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...

. The design, development, manufacture, evaluation and demonstration of diagnostic tools are achieved entirely through its partner organizations.

FIND has over 250 partners, including ministries of health, bilateral and multilateral organizations, research and academic institutes, commercial partners, NGOs and over 80 clinical trial sites.

Funding

FIND is financed by both the private and public sectors, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...

, Government of the Netherlands, the European Union, UNITAID

Unitaid

UNITAID is an international facility for the purchase of drugs against HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. It was founded in September 2006 on the initiative of Brazil and France, and is to a great part financed by so called innovative development financing mechanisms, namely a solidarity levy on...

, UK Department for International Development

Department for International Development

The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...

, National Institutes of Health

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...

and others.