Barcelona, 23 de julio de 2024 – Seven high school students from Asturias have travelled to Geneva to present their academic work on raising awareness about Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) to the World Health Organization (WHO). This visit, supported by Bayer, was part of the “Scientific Minds” project promoted by the non-profit organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), which won the Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in 2023. The initiative aims to inspire scientific vocations among young people. 

Coming from the towns of Mieres, La Fresneda, Pola de Siero, and Moreda, the students were invited to Geneva to present their projects, developed during the school year, at the headquarters of the WHO and DNDi, accompanied by their teachers.

Some participants have already stood out in the field of scientific communication, such as Rodrigo Díaz del Sol, a 16-year-old student at El Batán High School in Mieres, who won the latest edition of Bayer’s scientific monologue contest “Cuestión de Ciencia”. His monologue is focused on the impact of climate change on water quality and its effect on the proliferation of NTDs such as dengue. He performed it again at the WHO headquarters, where the students were received by Jérôme Salomon, Assistant Director General for Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable diseases, and María Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health and Environment.

The other students also presented their work on various NTDs such as Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, and river blindness, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness about these diseases.

The initiative originated from a connection made through the “Toma la palabra” program between Dr. Luís Pizarro, Executive Director of DNDi, and Asturian teacher María Jesús López González. This initiative focuses on continuing to promote scientific vocations and bringing the world of research closer to young people. “It is essential to raise awareness and equip the next generation to continue bringing the best science to the most neglected,” says Dr. Luís Pizarro, a Chilean-French medical doctor and global health expert.

María Jesús López González, the project coordinator, highlighted, “The educational community must be an ally in shaping different profiles that add value and play a very relevant role in promoting scientific vocations.”

During their trip to Switzerland, the students also had the opportunity to visit other top-tier international scientific organizations such as the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Unitaid, the University of Geneva, and Médicos Sin Fronteras (MSF).

About DNDi

Founded in 2003 by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the Pasteur Institute, and four leading research institutes in endemic countries, DNDi works in pharmaceutical research and development to combat NTDs and other diseases affecting poor and vulnerable communities worldwide.

Sobre Bayer 

Bayer es una empresa multinacional con competencias clave en los ámbitos biocientíficos de la salud y la alimentación. En línea con su misión “Salud y Alimentación para todos” sus productos y servicios aspiran a ser útiles a la humanidad y proteger el medio ambiente, contribuyendo a encontrar solución a desafíos como los que plantean el envejecimiento y el crecimiento constantes de la población mundial. Bayer está comprometida con el desarrollo sostenible y la generación de impacto positivo a través de su actividad comercial. Al mismo tiempo, el Grupo aspira a aumentar su rentabilidad y a crear valor a través de la innovación y el crecimiento. La marca «Bayer» es, en todo el mundo, sinónimo de confianza, fiabilidad y calidad. En el ejercicio 2023, el Grupo, con alrededor de 100.000 empleados, obtuvo una facturación de 47.600 millones de euros y destinó 5.800 millones de euros antes de extraordinarios a investigación y desarrollo. Para más información, puedes visitar nuestra web www.bayer.com