Vestergaard Frandsen is a European-based international company specializing in complex emergency response and disease control products. It is guided by a unique Humanitarian Entrepreneurship business model, whose "profit for a purpose" approach has turned humanitarian responsibility into its core business.
Our products are designed to prevent waterborne, vector-borne and neglected tropical diseases. We have turned our commitment into action by innovating technological breakthroughs for the most vulnerable people on earth, with our PermaNet®, LifeStraw®, ZeroFly® and CarePack™ products. These products have the potential to revolutionize health management as we know it, fighting preventable diseases and saving lives.
Strong support of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly reducing child mortality and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and reducing the number of people without access to safe drinking water, is a defining characteristic of our company. This is a large part of what separates Vestergaard Frandsen from other companies working in public health. We innovate for the developing world, rather than developing products for wealthier regions, and then trying to adapt to those who actually need them the most.
Vestergaard Frandsen's PermaNet® 2.0 long-lasting insecticidal net (LN) is recommended by the WHO for the prevention and control of malaria. PermaNet® Net Curtains have a long-lasting killing effect on vectors that transmit diseases like Dengue, Filariasis, Leishmaniasis, and Chagas disease. The recently launched PermaNet® 3.0 is the first of a new generation of LNs. PermaNet® 3.0 was evaluated by the World Health Organization in December 2008 and given an interim recommendation. This new net is designed to provide improved bioefficacy against insecticide-resistant malaria vectors; it is a technologically advanced product made from two types of fabrics and two chemicals. With the new PermaNet® 3.0 technology, Vestergaard Frandsen is committed to investing in products that will protect the most vulnerable members of society.
LifeStraw® Family and LifeStraw® are complementary point-of-use water filters that help people access safe drinking water at home and outside. LifeStraw® Family is an instant microbiological purifier that delivers at least 18,000 litres of EPA-quality drinking water. LifeStraw® is a portable water filter that provides up to 700 litres of water and protects users against diarrhoeal diseases.
ZeroFly®, a long-lasting insecticide-incorporated plastic sheeting, is a single solution to the dual needs for shelter and protection against vector-borne disease in complex emergencies.
CarePack™ is comprised of evidence-based interventions designed to improve the health of HIV-infected individuals and their families. Vestergaard Frandsen's Integrated Prevention Demonstration campaign in rural Kenya used free distribution of CarePack™ as an incentive to break the social stigma attached to HIV testing. During this campaign in 2008, some 81.9% of the target population aged 15-49 attended the campaign, out of which 95% were voluntarily tested and counselled for HIV.
Vestergaard Frandsen was founded in 1957 and has since evolved into a multinational leader. With headquarters in Switzerland and branch offices in Denmark, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, USA and UAE, and laboratories and licensed production in Vietnam and Thailand, Vestergaard Frandsen is able to provide a rapid response to complex emergencies and disease outbreaks.