WDF receives grant to support COVID-19 response in Jordan

BAGSVÆRD, DENMARK 20 April 2020 - 

The global COVID-19 outbreak has shown that patients with NCDs such diabetes, hypertension and heart disease have a much higher risk of severe and even fatal illness from the virus.

NCD patients in Jordan already face challenges in accessing health services due to the Syrian refugee influx and persistent humanitarian crisis, and the COVID-19 spread is expected to increase the pressure on the already overburdened health care system in Jordan.

The grant from Novo Nordisk Foundation is intended to support the national COVID-19 response preparedness in Jordan with focus on NCDs, especially at primary care and community levels, whereby the virus containment strategy will be provided further resources to address the NCD burden among refugee populations and Jordanian host communities.

Ms Hanna Line Jakobsen, Senior Vice President, Novo Nordisk Foundation, says: “World Diabetes Foundation is already doing very important work in Jordan together with their local partners in relation to treatment of patients with NCDs. We know that they can make good use of their existing knowledge on these patients and contribute to an increased awareness about COVID-19 among refugees with NCDs and other vulnerable groups. Their work will thereby mitigate the consequences of the pandemic in Jordan.”

Mr Leif Fenger Jensen, Managing Director, World Diabetes Foundation, says: “The grant from Novo Nordisk Foundation will enable us to urgently support health authorities and partners in Jordan in their efforts to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, which would in particular affect NCD patients in an already much challenged humanitarian setting. We are pleased to provide this support to the COVID-19 response in Jordan in collaboration with the Royal Health Awareness Society of Jordan and Jordanian health authorities, and other national and international partners and agencies in the country.”

The project to be implemented with the new grant funding will provide vulnerable people and those at high risk of COVID-19 contagion with necessary information and protective measures in order to help contain the virus and prevent its further spread. People living with NCDs will be supported in order to access care including through strengthening of primary health services. Furthermore, the project will facilitate the procurement and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, once available.

About the World Diabetes Foundation
The World Diabetes Foundation is a leading global funder of diabetes prevention and care projects in the developing world. Our vision is to alleviate human suffering related to diabetes among those in greatest need. We pursue sustainable, scalable approaches, helping countries meet global goals for improved care of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. 

Since 2002, the World Diabetes Foundation has provided 151 million USD in funding to 552 partnership projects in 116 countries. Read more at: www.worlddiabetesfoundation.org

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is an independent Danish foundation with corporate interests. It has two objectives: 1) to provide a stable basis for the commercial and research activities of the companies in the Novo Group; and 2) to support scientific, humanitarian and social causes.

The vision of the Foundation is to contribute significantly to research and development that improves the lives of people and the sustainability of society. Since 2010, the Foundation has donated more than DKK 25 billion (€3.3 billion), primarily for research at public institutions and hospitals in Denmark and the other Nordic countries. Read more at www.novonordiskfonden.dk/en