Listen, support, empower
Support today
Today, there is an international support system for people affected by Thalidomide: in more than 40 other countries, the German Federal Contergan Foundation provides a stable basis with a monthly Thalidomide pension. Many other countries have their own programmes – depending on how Thalidomide was distributed in the respective country at the time – these are run by governments, foundations or former license partners. The Grünenthal Foundation supplements these systems with personalised, practical support for everyday life: with home environment adaptations, mobility and personal assistance. The services of the Grünenthal Foundation are available to all affected people, regardless of which country they live in provided they are formally recognised by an institution which applies corresponding standards as official bodies such as the Contergan Foundation or the Thalidomide Trust.
Cooperation with the German Federal Association of Thalidomide Victims is a further important element. In the Dialogue Forum and in joint projects – such as the digital ‘Place of Knowledge’ – expert knowledge is shared, needs become visible and new ideas are initiated. In this way, the Grünenthal Foundation is a ‘learning organisation’ that continues to develop its services and focuses on the challenges of tomorrow.
International support system
Today, there are various forms of support for people who were affected by Thalidomide-containing products. This support differs from country to country:
- In countries where Grünenthal or its distribution partners at the time sold Thalidomide-containing products, monthly financial support is provided by the German Federal Contergan Foundation. This applies to Germany and more than 40 other countries such as Austria, Belgium, Brazil and Chile. In 2025, the maximum amount was €10,017 per month, depending on the severity of the disability. Since 2017, the federal government has also provided additional financial support for specific needs. Applications for recognition can still be submitted today. The Contergan Foundation's medical commission then checks whether all the criteria required for benefits are met.
How Grünenthal participated in the Contergan Foundation at the time
- In countries where licensees marketed their own Thalidomide-containing products, these companies provide financial support, sometimes together with the local government. Such arrangements exist, for instance, in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Sweden.
- In countries where other companies marketed Thalidomide-containing products independently and without permission from Grünenthal, Thalidomide-affected people are generally supported by their respective countries. This is the case in Italy and Spain, for example.
- In the United States, clinical tests by Grünenthal’s licensees were still ongoing and FDA approval was pending when the product was withdrawn from the market in late November 1961. Consequently, there are some Thalidomide survivors living in the US despite the product never being approved by the FDA.
The services of the Grünenthal Foundation for the Support of Thalidomide-Affected People are available worldwide to all those affected, provided they are recognised by the German Contergan Foundation or by other institutions using comparable criteria - for example, the UK’s Thalidomide Trust. To date, approximately 1,000 affected people from 10 countries have accessed the benefits of the Grünenthal Foundation. (As of December 2025).
Additional individual, needs-based support from the Grünenthal Foundation
The Grünenthal Foundation for the Support of Thalidomide-Affected People is committed to helping those affected to live a life as independent and fulfilling as possible. It works on two levels to achieve this: it provides direct support to those affected in their everyday lives, and it strengthens the work of associations representing those affected. In this way, it contributes to improving the specific living situations and the long-term conditions for participation in daily life.
The Foundation finances individual solutions where they matter most in everyday life: at home, in the social environment and in individual living situations. As a ‘learning organisation’, it always keeps the needs of those affected in mind – acting pragmatically and effectively.
The Grünenthal Foundation for the Support of Thalidomide-Affected People was established in 2012, thereby integrating the hardship initiative that had been in place since 2011.
Home environment adaptations
Vehicle conversions
Personal accompaniments
Support has been expanded and adapted in recent years to meet changing needs in a pragmatic and effective manner.
Support that promotes mobility and independence
Many people affected by Thalidomide have found ways to compensate for physical limitations through different movement patterns over the course of their lives. However, this permanent compensation has caused additional health problems for many of those affected, particularly in the back and hip area. As a result, more and more people are losing mobility and encountering increasing problems in everyday life, both at home and outside the home.
In addition to these services, the Foundation is always open to understanding individual needs and finding ways to provide specific support. It is always available for discussion. Detailed information on other support projects and contact details for the Foundation's representatives can be found on the Foundation's website.
Shaping the future: cooperation with the German Federal Association of Thalidomide Victims
Through the Grünenthal Foundation, we are committed to ensuring that people affected by Thalidomide can live as independently as possible as they age – valued, heard and included. We do not promise to solve every problem. But we do promise to listen, to continue learning and to constantly develop the work of the Foundation. The exchange in the Dialogue Forum, the joint project ‘Place of Knowledge’ (Ort des Wissens’) and close coordination with their associations are important steps along this path.
Cooperation with the German Federal Association of Thalidomide Victims (Bundesverband Contergangeschädigter e.V.) has taken on a new quality in recent years. What once began as an informal exchange is now a firmly established dialogue. With the Dialogue Forum established in 2023, the Federal Association and the Grünenthal Foundation have created a fixed framework to work together on measures that improve the quality of life of those affected. Here, experiences are shared, expectations are openly addressed and projects are developed that can directly improve the everyday lives of many people.
A key outcome of this exchange is the launch of the joint project ‘Place of Knowledge’ (Ort des Wissens). The term refers to the planning of a digital platform that will facilitate networking among those affected, support the exchange of information with specialists, and preserve the legacy of those affected by Thalidomide. It is aimed at those affected as well as doctors, nurses and other interested parties. It focuses on three areas: ‘Remembering’ with a collection of historical facts and perspectives as a visible legacy of those affected, ‘Helping’ with medical information and expert knowledge, and ‘Networking’ as a marketplace for contacts, offers of assistance and mutual support. Under the leadership of the Federal Association of Thalidomide Victims, the next steps are being prepared in joint workshops, working groups and interviews with experts.
The Dialogue Forum also serves as a place where we can look ahead together. Many of the challenges Thalidomide-affected people are facing today – mobility, care, accessibility and medical care – change as they get older. Good solutions come about through exchange, networking and the serious consideration of their experiences.