Novo Nordisk launches social responsibility strategy for diabetes

Novo Nordisk has launch a new social responsibility strategy Defeat Diabetes, which introduces new long-term ambitions to provide access to affordable diabetes care to vulnerable patients in every country and ensure that no child should die from type 1 diabetes.

One in every 11 people in the world has diabetes, a figure expected to climb to one in nine by 2045 if action is not taken, placing a huge burden on health systems.

The Danish drugmaker said it is 'committed to work with health authorities and other partners in the countries where it operates, to prevent and treat the disease'.

As a first step in its ambition to provide equal access to affordable insulin to vulnerable patients, the firm has announced a cut in the ceiling price of human insulin from $4 to $3 per vial in 76 low- and middle-income countries.

Also, to support the company’s aspiration that no child should die from type 1 diabetes, Novo Nordisk is expanding its Changing Diabetes in Children programme to reach 100,000 children by 2030, up from 25,000. The programme provides care and life-saving medicine for children with type 1 diabetes in low-resource settings.

Under Defeat Diabetes, Novo’s Partnering for Change programme with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Danish Red Cross, supporting care for people with serious chronic diseases in humanitarian crises, is also being extended, advancing the integration of diabetes and hypertension care into the Red Cross’s global health operations.

In another initiative under the strategy, the firm is donating and shipping free insulins to partner organisations providing humanitarian relief, such as UNICEF, UNRWA and our Red Cross partners, for six months to 'sustain the current level of insulin supplies at a time when humanitarian organisations are fighting COVID-19'.

'We are also providing a monetary contribution towards the COVID-19 emergency appeal of our Red Cross partners. This support will contribute to eg training of healthcare providers, protective equipment, medical supplies, quarantine facilities and psychosocial support. The total value of the donation is more than DKK 20 million'.

“Our purpose to defeat diabetes is necessary now more than ever as diabetes continues to rise, and at a time when the world is suffering from the most devastating pandemic in recent times,” said Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Novo Nordisk's chief executive.

“In addition to innovative medicine, we are committed to help societies defeat diabetes by accelerating prevention to halt the rise of the disease and providing access to affordable care to vulnerable patients in every country.”