Our Foundation believes its mission is to promote the public healthcare sector and public healthcare in an international context.
There is a large degree of catch-up required in the diagnosis of leukemia, particularly in developing and newly industrialised countries. While there are already highly qualified and ambitious scientists active in these regions, the available infrastructure is unfortunately often still underdeveloped.
The starting situation can be improved by developing and modernising the equipment in molecular laboratories, and that improves the healthcare delivered on the ground. Doing this also contributes to global knowledge transfer, which in turn indirectly contributes more knowledge to the German healthcare sector.
In close consultation with scientists (Prof. Peter Valk, University of Rotterdam; and the leadership of the American Society of Hematology (ASH)) and hospitals on the ground, the Foundation has paid the costs for five countries and six laboratories in South America to procure the latest molecular analysis devices and consumable materials, along with their set-up and training. These facilities are in:
The devices were ordered in November 2019, delivered in February 2020 and subsequently put into operation. Training for laboratories and new employees in South America continues to take place in Rotterdam and here in Munich (MLL). These are also regularly supported by co-sponsorship from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in the form of travel grants. This joint work of the Foundation and the ASH is highly praised internationally. All laboratories work with the support of the Foundation in the routine diagnosis of leukemia. The consumables provided – calculated individually for each laboratory – are sufficient for a sample volume in the next 12 months from the start and have currently been guaranteed until the end of 2025.
In addition, maintenance contracts were concluded in February 2023 until March 2025