The World Diabetes Foundation
The World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) is dedicated to supporting the prevention and treatment of diabetes in the developing world through the funding of sustainable projects. The aim is to alleviate human suffering related to diabetes and its complications among those least able to withstand the burden of disease.
WDF was established by Novo Nordisk A/S in 2002 through a commitment of 500 million Danish kroner (83 million US dollars) to be spent over a 10-year period. WDF is registered as an independent trust and is governed by a board of six experts in the field of diabetes, access to health and development assistance. It is the only international foundation devoted solely to funding projects within diabetes care.
In 2007, nearly half a million Danish kroner was donated by Novo Nordisk employees and raised through various fundraising activities including the Take Action employee programme. These funds have been allocated to support 12 ongoing WDF fundraising projects in the developing countries.
To date the World Diabetes Foundation has funded 138 projects in 77 countries, focusing on diabetes awareness, education and capacity-building at local, regional and global levels. The total project portfolio has reached USD 125.7 million of which USD 42.6 million were donated by the World Diabetes Foundation. A projection of the impact of our work shows that the projects funded by the World Diabetes Foundation will positively impact 63 million people in the developing countries.
Performance 2007
Five-year anniversary
To mark its five-year anniversary, the WDF organised a high-level panel discussion with the participation of key representatives from the World Bank, World Health Organization, International Diabetes Federation and the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation. The discussion highlighted how public-private partnerships can spur incentives for sustainable funding which can complement governmental as well as bilateral and multilateral programmes in developing countries.
Activities in Africa
Prior to WHO’s Regional Committee for Africa this year, the World Diabetes Foundation was invited to a important consultation forum on diabetes held in Brazzaville on 6-7 March 2007. The consultation aimed at strengthening the partnership to address the growing burden of diabetes and non-communicable diseases in the African Region. The meeting was finalized with a milestone partnership agreement with WHO AFRO to combat diabetes and non-communicable diseases by setting up a wide framework for assistance and collaboration in order to improve efforts directed at prevention and control of diabetes. This important partnership will allow countries to develop and strengthen national policies and programmes targeting diabetes and non-communicable diseases.
The Foundation organised the Diabetes Summit Africa in Nairobi, Kenya in cooperation with World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO), International Diabetes Federation African Region, (IDF AFRICA) and Ministry of Health, Kenya. More than 230 delegates from 25 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, leading global health experts, ministers of health from Niger, Guinea Conakry, Republic of Kenya, representatives from bilateral donor organisations and national health authorities convened at the Diabetes Summit Africa.
Concert to benefit diabetes in Cambodia
In our efforts to create public awareness of diabetes in children, a charity opera concert in London was organised as an important initiative this year. The opera concert; Together in Song, was organised by Opera performer Mr Jeffrey Black - whose son James has diabetes – in support of the World Diabetes Foundation. The event took place on the 14 October 2007 at the Cadogan Hall in London with the participation of 500 people and proceeds from the event, including ticket sales and corporate sponsorships from Novo Nordisk UK, John Wiley & Sons and other individual contributions were donated to a WDF-supported project in Cambodia – one of the poorest countries in the world and in support of facilitating diabetes clinics and access to care for type 1 children.
Conference in Mediterranean Region
Diabetes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and the Gulf was in focus at a major health economics and diabetes conference co-hosted by the World Diabetes Foundation and organised by the Health Minister’s Council for the Cooperation Council States in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organization, and the World Bank.
The ultimate goal of the multi stakeholder conference was to increase knowledge of governmental officials, policy makers and others concerned with the economic aspects of diabetes. As part of the policy framework, the Executive Board of the Health Ministers Council for Gulf Cooperation Council States (GCC), presented a joint statement on diabetes control; the “Riyadh Declaration” as a guiding strategy to address the challenges of diabetes, particularly from the economic standpoint.
Global Diabetes Walk
A returning event on its fourth year was the Global Diabetes Walk on World Diabetes Day, 14 November. This Global Diabetes Walk organised by World Diabetes Foundation mobilised 207,694 people from 70 countries on seven continents to walk together to help raise awareness about diabetes. Over 200 landmarks and public, private institutions were illuminated in the blue colour of the diabetes circle officially selected as the global symbol for diabetes to mark the first United Nations-observed World Diabetes Day. Included among the landmarks were many of the world's most iconic buildings and sites.
Prevention programme in China
As part of a current prevention programme funded by the World Diabetes Foundation in the city of Qingdao on China’s seaside, a Diabetes Prevention Forum was organised in October by the WDF Project Partners. The first Qingdao Diabetes Prevention Forum attracted participation from multiple local, regional and international stakeholders such as senior officials from the MOH China, Qingdao Municipal Health Bureau, World Health Organization (WHO), country office in China, WHO Western Pacific Region and WHO Geneva HQ, Chinese Diabetes Society, Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, International Diabetes Federation, Oxford Health Alliance, University of Helsinki and the Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta USA.
The Foundation was invited as a speaker as part of our involvement in the Qingdao Diabetes Prevention Project. The project supported by World Diabetes Foundation attracted considerable attention, as it is perhaps the first large community-based diabetes prevention programme.
For more information about WDF please visit www.worlddiabetesfoundation.org.
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