The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) was launched in May 2003 at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. It is an initiative for the development of new diagnostic tests for poverty related-diseases. With the financial support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, FIND and WHO collaborates in the development of the urgently needed diagnostic tests for sleeping sickness. The new tests are expected to allow for early case detection and simplified staging thus improving disease management. This collaboration should ultimately provide the essential tools to support the elimination of sleeping sickness as a public health problem.