The Diabetes Investment Accelerator (DIA) has been developed by WDF to explore, implement and scale innovative financing mechanisms to address the growing burden of diabetes and related NCDs in low- and middle income countries.
The increasing burden of diabetes and related NCDs: 537m adults with diabetes, 81% of them live in LMICs (Diabetes Atlas, 2021)
Human costs: premature mortality, morbidity and disability
Direct economic burden on health systems and households
Indirect costs: lost productivity from disability and premature deaths (NCD Alliance, nd)
Financial impact (2010-2030): USD 47 trillion, equivalent to approx. USD 2.3 trillion per year or 2.3% of global GDP (2022) (Kazibwe et al., 2021)
Up to 80% of NCDs could be prevented or delayed through affordable actions: USD 0.84 per person per year, saving 7 million lives and USD 230 billion in economic benefits (WHO, 2021)
NCDs remain underfunded, with insufficient funding to achieve the SDG 3.4 target on NCDs (WHO, 2023; NCD Alliance, nd.)
How can we mobilise funding in new and innovative ways?
Supplement traditional grant-giving models with other financial instruments to unlock additional resources from public and private players.
Opportunities for effective value-based health interventions to accelerate WDF’s work towards prevention and access to care for diabetes and related NCDs in LMICs.
Establishing a dedicated initiative will fill a gap by generating knowledge/evidence, driving the development of investment cases, and providing access to funding to deploy models in LMICs.
An intermediate organisation is needed to identify investment cases with clear and measurable outcomes, gather stakeholders, match funding with strong implementing partners, and enable and nurture project pipelines.
Based on WDF’s:
More than 20 years of experience: A wealth of models, interventions, and approaches.
Organisation and partner network: Multisector partnerships, alliances, and collaborations.
Links to the private sector and corporate investment: Strong connections to mobilise resources.
Build knowledge around outcome-based financing models
Build more evidence around the use of innovative financing models in the health sector
Co-develop and share knowledge products on the use of impact bonds in the health sector
Develop materials and tools providing a solid starting point to engage with outcome-based funding models
Co-develop and deploy concrete investment cases with partners
Identifying and supporting the development of specific investment cases in close collaboration with local and global partners.
Enabling and supporting the partner coalition to agree on the desired outcomes, design the appropriate and relevant intervention and make the costing analysis to transform it into a business case.
Build a global alliance of partners to accelerate new financing models
Mobilise local and global partners who possess the knowledge and resources required for developing and implementing impactful and investable health interventions including investors, service providers, philanthropic organisations, knowledge institutions, and outcome funders
The DIA will initially focus on Impact Bonds, a results-based financing model designed to activate the private investor community.
An outcome-based contract built around an innovative partnership model offers access to effective health solutions aiming to improve health outcomes for the target group and generate economic value for health authorities and investors.
DIA is built around key stakeholders:
Problem owner / outcome payer: Identifies a problem and commits to paying for the achievement of clearly defined outcomes, such as reducing the number of people developing diabetes-related complications.
Service provider: Develops and delivers relevant interventions with the potential to achieve the agreed outcome goals.
Investor: Finances the relevant intervention in exchange for a results-based payment.
Ambition: To enhance the impact and scale of diabetes/NCD prevention and access to care interventions in LMICs.
Impact first fund: A clear primary social and sustainable impact investment objective.
Attract investors: Ability to attract investors looking for both social and financial returns on investment.
Investment projects: 4-5 investment projects implemented and managed by partners, with project outcomes monitored through WDF and verified by an external entity.
Impact goal: Reducing the burden of diabetes and related NCDs in selected LMICs through:
Increased number of people living with diabetes diagnosed and under treatment
Strengthened availability and delivery of care for diabetes and related NCDs
Increased availability of opportunities for healthy living and healthy pregnancies (e.g., delivery of healthy food options and access to physical activity)
Raven Indigenous Impact FoundationCanada - Indigenous CommunitiesPreventing diabetes or diabetes-related complications in six Indigenous communities.Status: Ready for implementation
Armenian Eyecare Project Armenia
Preventing diabetes-related complications especially Diabetic Retinopathy.
Status: Burden of illness study conducted, Business case developed, Key partners in dialogue but not yet firm commitment
Fred Hollows FoundationBangladesh and NepalPreventing diabetes or diabetes-related complications.
Status: Initial identification and explorative dialogue with core partners
Identify investment cases with clear and measurable outcomes
Pipeline of projects developed through proactive engagement with potential partners or through clearly defined call for proposals.
For more information about the Diabetes Investment Accelerator or to get involved, please contact the DIA team:
Kirza Buch KristensenDirector, Business Development and Strategy+45 30 77 51 46kzbk@worlddiabetesfoundation.org
Anders BagerSenior Project Manager+45 34 44 09 16gnea@worlddiabetesfoundation.org