NOVO NORDISK A/S 
By As part of an official Danish state visit to Kenya, Novo Nordisk on 12 April officially launched a programme to make insulin and diabetes care more accessible to poor populations.
In Kenya, 250,000 people are in need of insulin out of which 80,000 are people with an annual income between 1,500-3,000 US dollars. To make insulin more affordable and accessible to this group, Novo Nordisk has in partnership with local organisations and faith-based hospitals and clinics developed a new business model that includes a streamlined supply chain and treatment centres that are closer to the patients' homes.
The project has reduced price mark-ups in the supply chain to the extent that the insulin can be obtained at 20 cents daily, which is equivalent to a third of the previous price on the private market.
The Kenyan project is the first of three pilots to be launched by Novo Nordisk this year. A second one is about to be launched in India, and a third pilot will be launched in Nigeria later in 2012.
The pilot projects will create valuable learnings on how access to insulin and proper diabetes care can be improved for people with diabetes with very low incomes.
Worldwide, there is a population of 46 million people with diabetes who earn between 4 and 10 dollars per day. In 2030, this group is expected to grow to more than 73 million people.
Diabetes in Africa
According to the International Diabetes Federation, the growth of diabetes in Africa is currently the highest in the world. Close to 15 million people in sub-Saharan Africa currently have diabetes, and this number is expected to rise to around 28 million in 2030. It is estimated that 78% of people with diabetes today are undiagnosed.
In Kenya, the International Diabetes Federation estimates that there are currently around one million people with diabetes in Kenya with urban prevalence up to 10%.
Video from Kenya will be available here Monday.
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