Danish private sector and philanthropic partners invest $28 million in refugee health with UNHCR
Danish private sector and philanthropic partners invest $28 million in refugee health with UNHCR
Dr. Elia, a clinician working in Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania, has received training in non-communicable diseases.
GENEVA – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today announced three major new partnerships to improve refugee health outcomes with the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the World Diabetes Foundation and Novo Nordisk.
These three partnerships, bringing investments of $28 million, will significantly strengthen access to essential health care for millions of refugees and host communities across five countries in East Africa: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. These countries are among the largest refugee hosts in the region, welcoming more than 2.3 million forcibly displaced people. This situation underscores the importance of continued international investment in the transition to national health systems that are also accessible to refugees.
Implemented over a three-year period, the partnerships share three overarching priorities:
- Improving prevention and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), primarily diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure), which are the most common chronic diseases;
- Strengthening UNHCR-supported and national health facilities in refugee-hosting areas through training of healthcare workers and infrastructure upgrades, including provision of medical equipment; and
- Promoting inclusion of refugees into the national health systems so they gain equal access to health.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also supports UNHCR's efforts to improve health for displaced people in Eastern Africa and collaborates, in accordance with its development strategy, with the Danish private and philanthropic actors, for example, as part of the Alliance for Inclusive Refugee Response in Kenya.
The support from the Danish private sector and philanthropic partners comes at a critical time, as NCDs are on the rise and are the leading cause of death, accounting for 74 per cent of global mortality, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). People forced to flee often have very limited possibilities of being diagnosed and treated. As a result, they risk a lower quality of life or dying prematurely from these kinds of diseases, many of which could have been prevented or at least treated in time.
Pascaline, a Congolese refugee in Burundi living with hypertension, monitors her blood pressure.
Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, said: “Our partnership with UNHCR reflects our commitment to improving health equity as part of a systemic, long-term change in the health sector. In Kenya, we are proud to be part of the Danish Alliance for Inclusive Refugee Response and in Ethiopia, we are now engaged in efforts to strengthen the national health system, with the aim of making it more sustainable and inclusive.”
The partnerships build on achievements from existing collaborations. The aim is to expand proven care models and introduce new climate-resilient measures, improve integrated data systems, strengthen continuity of care across borders and enhance awareness of nutritious diets and mental health, recognizing the critical link to chronic diseases and long-term health outcomes.
Leif Fenger Jensen, Managing Director at the World Diabetes Foundation, said: “With this new phase of our collaboration with UNHCR in Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda, we are building on WDF’s long term support to the strengthening of NCD care in national health systems as well as providing specific support to camp-based health services, thereby reinforcing our shared commitment to build local capacity for diabetes care and integrate refugees into public health responses.”
Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, added: “These partnerships strengthen national health systems and expand access to care for refugees and host communities, particularly for those living with chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. They help shift from reliance on humanitarian aid to sustainable, inclusive health services. Denmark, together with its private sector and philanthropic partners, is setting a strong example.”
The collaboration brings together the complementary strengths of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the World Diabetes Foundation and Novo Nordisk in support of UNHCR’s efforts to secure the inclusion of refugees in universal health coverage and ultimately advance their self-reliance.
About Novo Nordisk Foundation
Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation’s mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society.
About World Diabetes Foundation
Founded in 2002 by Novo Nordisk, the World Diabetes Foundation is an independent foundation dedicated to advancing the prevention and care of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries. The Foundation works through partnerships to strengthen national health systems, build local capacity and improve access to sustainable, quality-assured care, with a focus on reaching vulnerable and underserved populations.
About UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. We deliver life-saving assistance, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place called home where they can build a better future. Our teams bring expertise, compassion, and unwavering dedication to protect and care for millions worldwide.
For more information, please contact:
- Andreas Floistrup, [email protected], +45 2815 7228
