• 06 Dec 2023
• Admin
• News Article

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Project HOPE collaborate to advance health equity among HIV positive youth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., one of the world leaders in serving science, and Project HOPE, a leading global health and humanitarian organization, announced a new partnership to improve the wellbeing and treatment outcomes of adolescents and young persons living with HIV in Nigeria, the country with the second largest HIV epidemic worldwide. Nigeria currently accounts for nearly two million individuals living with HIV, contributing to approximately two-thirds of new HIV infections in West and Central Africa.

The partnership greatly advances Project HOPE’s efforts in Northwestern Nigeria by expanding access to critical community HIV testing services. Project HOPE, supported by local community partners, will identify and help connect more HIV positive adolescents and young persons with appropriate treatment and essential social and economic support services, ultimately improving their wellbeing and quality of life. Additionally, Thermo Fisher will engage its employees in volunteer opportunities to augment the services delivered by Project HOPE.

“The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is “let communities lead,” reminding us to focus on the individuals who are living with this disease and to enable the community partners on the frontline of driving local progress,” said Meron Mathias, vice president, corporate social responsibility, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “This partnership with Project HOPE builds on our meaningful work in the region and allows us to support and learn from a new cohort of essential partners, so they can give more young people living with HIV a greater chance to explore and fulfill their life ambitions.”

Thermo Fisher’s previous support for Project HOPE’s initiatives in countries like Ukraine laid the foundation for the new collaboration to address infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS. This partnership builds on Thermo Fisher’s collaborations with customers, governments and nonprofit organizations to create a more equitable global healthcare environment. For instance, in 2022, the company launched an HIV drug resistance genotyping kit with global heath equity pricing, an offering that’s been adopted by over 30 low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia; and which has helped drive health policy changes in Kenya.

For over a decade, Project HOPE has been collaborating with public, private, and government partners to improve health in Nigeria. With a focus on HIV/AIDS, Project HOPE strives to support government, local partners, and communities to prevent new infections and enhance health outcomes for the most vulnerable populations in line with the UNAIDS targets toward achieving epidemic control.

“Project HOPE is delighted to collaborate with Thermo Fisher Scientific on this transformative journey to improve the lives of adolescents and young persons in Northwestern Nigeria,” said Dr. Uche RalphOpara, deputy chief health officer, Project HOPE. “Through improved case finding, linkage to care and treatment, and economic strengthening interventions, we aim to empower these young individuals to realize their full potential and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.”

Thermo Fisher’s commitment to improve health outcomes with customers, patients and communities extends beyond HIV/AIDS. This year, the company launched a pair of breakthrough, FDA-approved blood tests to diagnose preeclampsia—a potentially life-threatening condition that disproportionately impacts pregnant Black women—that were named to TIME’s best inventions of 2023. The company also partnered with Pfizer to expand local access to next-generation-sequencing-based testing for cancer patients in low- and middle-income markets across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.