Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. They are responsible for about three quarters of fatalities globally, according to the World Health Organization. Diabetes and hypertension affect 422 million and over a billion people globally, respectively, with cases rising steadily. People in low- and middle-income countries are more likely to die from these diseases—and die sooner—than people living elsewhere. While a 10-year-old living with Type 1 diabetes in a high-income country will live to 71, in a low-income country, they will only live to 23.

People in low- and middle-income countries living with NCDs such as diabetes and hypertension deserve the same diagnostics, treatment, and monitoring that people living elsewhere have. Yet, deep inequities in access and the growing cost of care and commodities—both for those paying out-of-pocket and governments managing already overburdened health systems—make health outcomes far worse for people in these countries.