WDF’s impact journey

In this interactive impact journey, we seek to show an incredibly complex process in a simple manner. We list WDF's contribution to major global policy milestones on the one side and provide an overview of how the global NCD agenda has evolved on the other. The ambition is to give an impression of how our efforts in global, regional and local advocacy have played a role in influencing, informing, and advancing the global dialogue on NCDs over the years. Scroll, read, and click to read about the impact of our advocacy efforts since 2002.

WDF's contributions

The international scene

WHO initiates the STEPwise approach to surveillance of NCDs

The STEPS guide established a risk-factor surveillance system for countries to strengthen the availability of data to inform, monitor, and evaluate national policies and capacity for NCDs.

2002

WDF funds the Diabetes Atlas for the first time

The prevalence of diabetes is unknown for most of the global population. Establishing incidence rates were crucial for raising awareness of diabetes among decision-makers and policymakers.

2003

Public-private partnership with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark and WDF enter a public-private partnership on NCDs.

2003

International Diabetes Federation launches the ‘Unite for Diabetes’ campaign

International Diabetes Federation launched the Unite for Diabetes campaign aimed at placing diabetes on the global agenda and increase awareness of the disease and patient education.

2006

UN adopts November 14th as World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day (WDD) was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the WHO in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. WDD became an official UN Day in 2006 with the passage of UN Resolution 61/225.

2006

127 projects covering 44 countries

2007

NCD Alliance is established

The Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Alliance brought together the International Diabetes Federation, World Heart Federation, International Union for Cancer Control, and The International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease with the vision of convening a new global NCD civil society movement to confront the misconceptions about NCDs and catalyse political action.

2009

First ever UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs

The UN General Assembly’ s first High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs in 2011 provided an opportunity to recast the global health agenda and offered a platform to mobilise political will for action.

2011

323 projects covering 83 countries

2013

WHO Global Action Plan for NCDs

The Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2020 (GAP) was created with the vision of “a world free of the avoidable burden of NCDs”. It was a critical component of the global NCD architecture and a clear roadmap for action to reach the global targets for NCDs by 2025.

2013

Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development

The Addis Agenda provided a new global framework for financing sustainable development. The aim was to align all financing flows and policies with the vision outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda also called upon philanthropies to align and commit further investment.

2015

UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are launched

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include a global target for NCDs – target 3.4 – which aims to reduce the risk of premature death among people aged 30–69 years by one third by 2030.

2015

WDF one of the first supporters for WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs

2016

WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs

The Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of NCDs was the first WHO instrument aimed at facilitating multistakeholder engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration to prevent and control NCDs, including the engagement with non-state actors (civil society, private sector, and philanthropies) such as WDF.

2016

502 projects covering 99 countries

2017

Third UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs

The meeting undertook a comprehensive review of the global and national progress achieved in putting measures in place that protect people from dying too young from NCDs.

2018

First UN High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage

The meeting led to world leaders endorsing an ambitious political declaration on health, as they committed to ensuring that by 2030 everyone in their country would receive all the quality health services, they need, without suffering financial hardship.

2019

Scaling up interventions with UNHCR, and partners in Tanzania, Jordan, and Lebanon

Large scale partnerships with governments, international humanitarian and development actors increase WDF’s impact at country level and visibility at the global policy level.

2019 - 2021

Global Diabetes Compact

On the 100-year anniversary of insulin discovery, the WHO launched the Global Diabetes Compact - a global initiative to reduce the risk of diabetes and to ensure that all people diagnosed have access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable, and quality treatment and care.

2021

595 projects in 119 countries

2022

World Health Assembly adopts first ever Diabetes Targets

For the first time ever, WHO Member States supported the endorsement of global targets for diabetes, as part of recommendations to strengthen and monitor diabetes responses within national NCD programmes.

2022

WDF supports WHO’s Global Diabetes Compact

The WHO Global Diabetes Compact has the vision of reducing the risk of diabetes and ensuring that all people who are diagnosed with diabetes have access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable, and quality treatment and care.

2023

NCDs are included in three resolutions endorsed by UN Member States

Health was on the agenda of the world’s political leaders with three UN High-Level Meetings focused on universal health coverage; pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response; and tuberculosis. NCDs was included in all three resolutions endorsed by Member States.

2023

Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs

The fourth UN High-Level Meeting will focus on evaluating the progress achieved to reduce NCDs since the third High-Level Meeting in 2018 and discuss the policy solutions needed to achieve the global targets set for 2030.

2025