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Mundo Sano (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
for "healthy world"), or Fundación Mundo Sano, is a scientific,
nongovernmental A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
foundation in
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
working for the
prevention Prevention may refer to: Health and medicine * Preventive healthcare, measures to prevent diseases or injuries rather than curing them or treating their symptoms General safety * Crime prevention, the attempt to reduce deter crime and crimin ...
and
control Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controlling ...
of
communicable diseases infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable disea ...
such as
dengue fever Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by dengue virus, prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas. Asymptomatic infections are uncommon, mild cases happen frequently; if symptoms appear, they typically begin 3 to 14 days after i ...
,
Chagas disease Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by ''Trypanosoma cruzi''. It is spread mostly by insects in the subfamily Triatominae, known as "kissing bugs". The symptoms change throughout the ...
,
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
,
leishmaniasis Leishmaniasis is a wide array of clinical manifestations caused by protozoal parasites of the Trypanosomatida genus ''Leishmania''. It is generally spread through the bite of Phlebotominae, phlebotomine Sandfly, sandflies, ''Phlebotomus'' an ...
and
soil-transmitted helminthiasis Soil-transmitted helminthiasis is a type of worm infection (helminthiasis) caused by different species of roundworms. It is caused specifically by worms transmitted through soil contaminated with faecal matter and are known as soil-transmitted ...
. Its main objective is to facilitate equal access to health and welfare among people who are vulnerable to these otherwise avoidable diseases, mainly by promoting strategic policies for the improvement of the
quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
of affected communities. Mundo Sano was originally established to combat against Chagas disease that is prevalent in
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
, and was transmitted to other parts of the world from there. Expanding its mission, the foundation now plays an active part in the international coalition including the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be the third largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $ ...
, the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
, the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
and the major
pharmaceutical companies The pharmaceutical industry is a Medicine, medical industry that discovers, develops, produces, and markets pharmaceutical goods such as medications and medical devices. Medications are then administered to (or Self-medicate, self-administered b ...
that coordinate the world's largest project to control neglected diseases. It has funded numerous research programmes in the field, and also involved in development of new drugs, especially Abarax.


History

Mundo Sano Foundation was founded in 1993 by Dr Roberto Gold with the aim of improving of the quality of life in Argentina, where human helminthic diseases were rampant. Initially as a family enterprise, the foundation's main focus was on Chagas disease and its consequences throughout the continent. The disease still affects an estimated 8 to 10 Latin Americans, who are at constant threats of
cardiac The heart is a muscular organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the tissu ...
and
gastrointestinal The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascular system. ...
complications. Gold and his wife, Dr Miriam Turjanski, as pioneer pharmacists in Argentina, were inspired from their pharmaceutical activities and commitment towards societyn, and this urged Gold to create a foundation through which suffering from the infectious disease could be eliminated. In 2000 the foundation was strengthened with a broader view on other
parasitic disease A parasitic disease, also known as parasitosis, is an infectious disease caused by parasites. Parasites are organisms which derive sustenance from its host while causing it harm. The study of parasites and parasitic diseases is known as parasitol ...
s, and a proper organisation of the management was formulated. As imposed by the guidelines laid down by the founder, Gold's daughter, Dr Silvia Gold became the president to enforce more extensive research and intervention programmes.


Achievements


Tropical diseases

Mundo Sano has devoted its effort to eliminate tropical diseases. It forms many partnerships such as with the
Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases The Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases is an advocacy initiative of the Sabin Vaccine Institute dedicated to raising the awareness, political will, and funding necessary to control and eliminate the most common Neglected Tropical Disea ...
to fight ''
Strongyloides stercoralis ''Strongyloides stercoralis'' is a human pathogenic parasitic roundworm causing the disease strongyloidiasis. Its common name in the US is threadworm. In the UK and Australia, however, the term ''threadworm'' can also refer to nematodes of t ...
'' infections and other soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in Argentina. Mundo Sano played an active role in the ''
London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases The London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases was a collaborative disease eradication programme launched on 30 January 2012 in London. It was inspired by the World Health Organization roadmap to eradicate or prevent transmission for neglec ...
'' of 30 January 2012, the largest
collaborative Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. The f ...
disease eradication programme till date. The project aims to eradicate or control 10
neglected tropical diseases Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of tropical infections that are common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. They are caused by a variety of pathogens, such as viruses, bacteri ...
by 2020. Mundo Sano specifically contributed US$5 million for project expansion and program enhancement for selected sites in the Americas and Africa.


Bendznidazole

Benznidazole Benznidazole is an antiparasitic medication used in the treatment of Chagas disease. While it is highly effective in early disease, the effectiveness decreases in those who have long-term infection. It is the first-line treatment given its mod ...
is the primary treatment of choice for Chagas disease, is produced in Latin America where the disease originates and is most prevalent, at the public pharma LAFEPE in Brasil. Mundo Sano and the Chemo Pharmaceutical Group developed a second generic version of
benznidazole Benznidazole is an antiparasitic medication used in the treatment of Chagas disease. While it is highly effective in early disease, the effectiveness decreases in those who have long-term infection. It is the first-line treatment given its mod ...
, which is manufactured by the Argentine company Laboratorio ELEA under the name Abarax. On 20 March 2012, the Argentine Minister of Health, Dr Juan Manzur triumphantly announced the first ever production of benzinidazole in Argentina. In 2017, August 29 the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...
(FDA) approved Chemo Research's New Drug Application (NDA) for benznidazole 567891011 . This is the first drug ever approved by the FDA to treat Chagas disease. The FDA's decision approves benznidazole for children ages 2–12 years old 12. Mundo Sano played a central role in registering benznidazole with the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...
(FDA), in close collaboration with Exeltis (Chemo US-based pharmaceutical division), with the support of the
Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a collaborative, patients' needs-driven, non-profit drug research and development (R&D) organization that is developing new treatments for neglected tropical diseases, neglected diseases, notab ...
(DNDi), a non-profit drug development organization.


Literature

Mundo Sano funded the free publication and distribution of a book ''Contar La Ciencia'' (''Telling Science'') in 2012. The book is an
anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
of 40 science articles in Argentina, published by the Argentine Network of Science Journalism to be the first ever of its kind published in Latin America.


References

{{Reflist, 2


External links


Profile at CHEMOEnd the NeglectSpotlight at Global Health HubProfile at LinkedinLatin America Donor Index
Non-profit organisations based in Argentina Foundations based in Argentina Organizations established in 1993