Diabetes Investment Accelerator

Scaling up financing for prevention and access to care for diabetes and related NCDs in LMICs

The Diabetes Investment Accelerator (DIA) has been developed by WDF to explore, implement and scale innovative financing mechanisms that support impact investment in social enterprises addressing the growing burden of diabetes and related NCDs in low- and middle-income countries.

The challenges

589 million adults are living with diabetes worldwide. 80% live in LMICs.	Globally, 86.9% of all undiagnosed cases of diabetes are in low and middle-income countries.	Diabetes and NCDs have a profound effect on a country's productivity, health systems, individual households, and human capital.
An additional investment of USD 0.90 per person could prevent or delay up to 80% of all NCD, saving 7 million lives and USD 230 billion in economic benefits.	The gap to realise the SDGs has risen to >4 trillion USD.	The majority of global capital is not geared towards SDGs.

How the Diabetes Investment Accelerator works

The Accelerator serves as an intermediary, supplementing traditional grant-giving models with innovative financing mechanisms to accelerate investments in prevention and access to care for people living with diabetes and related NCDs.

Through the Accelerator, we provide access to funding, generate knowledge, develop investment cases, nurture a project pipeline, and build a strong alliance of impact-first organisations, investors, and other change-makers.

Our current portfolio

Last Mile Care

Last Mile Care is a social enterprise committed to transforming healthcare access for blue collar workers in India.

About LMC

Access Afya

Access Afya is a Kenyan social enterprise with a mission to democratise access to high-quality, affordable care for all through micro clinics.

About Access Afya

Bena Care

Bena Care is a social enterprise in Kenya providing home-based care and equipment leasing to people living with chronic diseases, including diabetes and hypertension.

About Bena Care

iKure

iKure is a social enterprise that combines clinics, technology, community-centric data, and community engagement to bring affordable, high-quality healthcare to millions in rural and semi-urban India.

About iKure

These investments were made through ImpactBridge, a collaboration between the World Diabetes Foundation, We Share Forward Foundation and Philips Foundation Impact Investments to improve diabetes and related NCD care in low- and middle-income countries. The partnership supports social enterprises that expand affordable, quality care for underserved communities, reinvesting returns to sustain impact.

Find out more about Impact Bridge

What is impact investment?

DIA addopts an impact first approach, to promote social transformation and longlasting social impact in LMICs.

Investment criteria

Accessibility

Enhance availability and delivery of care, and availability of opportunities for healthy living and healthy pregnancies.

Affordability

Provide affordable options for care and prevention focusing on lower income groups and people living in vulnerable situations.

Quality

Seek opportunities to enhance quality care or preventive measures.

Scale and sustainability

Prefer tested models and initiatives, ready to scale or innovative initiatives with a clear ambition and opportunity for scale, including financial sustainability.

DIA team

Kirza Buch Kristensen Director, Business Development and Strategy +45 30 77 51 46 kzbk@worlddiabetesfoundation.org	Anders Bager Senior Project Manager +45 34 44 09 16 gnea@worlddiabetesfoundation.org
Cansu Ünalan Project Manager +45 34 44 69 38 cuna@worlddiabetesfoundation.org	Sara Fernández Stobberup Intern eotu@worlddiabetesfoundation.org