By 2030, the world aims to have reduced premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one third. Diabetes is one such NCD that, according to the World Health Organization, has been steadily increasing in prevalence since the 1980s, most aggressively in low- and middle-income countries. In fact, today, 15.5 million people in Africa are living with diabetes and this number is expected to increase to 40.7 million by 2045. To tackle diabetes and other NCDs, early detection policies, effective prevention processes, and access to affordable medicines are vital, along with collaboration across countries, sectors and stakeholders — an approach Novo Nordisk, a global health care company and the world’s largest supplier of insulin, firmly endorses.

“Our main strength is in the development of diabetes medicine, but we also know that we can’t do everything alone,” said Venkat Kalyan, Novo Nordisk’s general manager for the Middle Africa affiliate. “We have to be part of the solution — and that’s where we work with partners.”

Delving deeper into the topic, Kalyan explains how the company plans to drive forward the Sustainable Development Goals by ensuring affordable access to insulin across the continent, and shares lessons from its 50 years of Africa operations.

Read the full article about improving access to diabetes care at Devex International Development.