Winner
Addressing the Base of the Pyramid
Summary of work
With an estimated 50.8 million people living with diabetes, India has the world’s largest diabetes population.
Travel costs and the loss of daily income incurred due to the time taken to access diabetes care and treatment are the key barriers facing diabetes patients in India.
In order to overcome these barriers, the Base of the Pyramid initiative is making diabetes care available at patients’ doorsteps through involving local community members (the ASHA workers) to develop their own micro-businesses promoting prevention, monitoring and treatment of diabetes.
Our social entrepreneurs, the ASHA workers (Accredited Social Health Activists) are empowered to become a key player in raising awareness about diabetes in their communities and to support diabetes patients in their journey to fight diabetes. This pilot in the State of Bihar, India, is part of an innovative project - Addressing the Base of the Pyramid - funded by Novo Nordisk to improve affordability, access and availability of diabetes care to people with modest incomes. This business model was developed with the diabetes patients and their families with the support of an anthropologist.
Judges’ comments
We found this to be an excellent example of diagnosis and design, with an innovative approach to delivering healthcare and access at the doorstep of unserved populations with a clear focus on ‘Providing Value for Many’.
