Action4Diabetes: Built on Trust, Grown through Partnership
- Rachel Teoh
- Jul 1
- 5 min read
This year, Action4Diabetes (A4D) celebrates 10 years of standing alongside children and young people living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) across South-East Asia. As we mark this milestone, we take the opportunity to honour the partnerships that have made this journey possible. From our beginnings in just one country, to our presence in seven—Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam—our growth has been shaped and strengthened by meaningful work through various partnerships and supporters.
In this second part of our 10th Anniversary series, we spotlight several of our partners and supporters, whose missions align with ours—each of whom has contributed in their own vital way. Whether through access to life-saving insulin, T1D education, building supportive communities, health capacity building, or simply a shared belief that everyone with T1D deserves the chance to thrive, these partnerships have truly brought our vision to life—and hope to those who need it most.
Partner & Supporter Spotlights
Eli Lilly & Company (Lilly)
Expanding access, empowering communities
Through the support of Lilly, A4D has been able to improve access to life-saving insulin in resource-limited settings in Laos and strengthen T1D education across resource-limited settings in South-East Asia.
Through Lilly’s support related to the efforts of A4D, children and young people in Laos now have access to analogue insulin—an essential step forward in improving health outcomes and reducing complications.
In parallel, Lilly’s support has enabled A4D’s HelloType1 platform to grow into a regional resource. Now reaching over 40,000 users across its website and social media channels, HelloType1 is helping to close the T1D information gap in resource-limited settings in low- and middle-income countries – providing multilingual, culturally relevant education for families, healthcare professionals, and young people living with T1D.
“Supporting the efforts of A4D is in line with the Lilly 30x30 effort, aiming to not only deliver access to medicines, but also access to information - both of which are essential to improving health outcomes and increasing access to quality care in resource-limited settings.”
Robert Lloyd, Associate Vice President Social Impact, Eli Lilly & Company
Helmsley Charitable Trust
Enabling programme expansion into the Philippines
In 2023, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust awarded a three-year grant to support A4D’s strategic expansion into the Philippines—one of the region’s most populous countries, where critical gaps in T1D diagnosis and care persist. With Helmsley’s support, A4D is now delivering life-saving medical supplies, and T1D education through initiatives like T1D camps and HelloType1. This marks the beginning of a long-term effort to build sustainable, locally owned solutions that can transform the future of T1D care in the country.
“We’re proud to support A4D’s work in the Philippines. Their thoughtful, data-informed, and locally grounded approach aligns with our vision of expanding access to high-quality T1D care globally.”
James Reid, T1D Program Officer, Helmsley Charitable Trust
ISPAD (International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes)
Grounded in expertise, advancing best practices
Our partnership with the International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) focuses on improving health outcomes for young people with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in South-East Asia—where limited access to care and diabetes education continues to present significant challenges.
By combining ISPAD’s over 50 years of global expertise with A4D’s on-the-ground implementation of innovative solutions—such as our multilingual education platform HelloType1—we aim to strengthen T1D awareness and understanding among young people, families, and healthcare professionals across the region.
Beyond education, ISPAD’s advocacy for equitable access to insulin and youth-focused diabetes care reinforces A4D’s mission to strengthen national health systems and champion policy-level change. Their global voice helps amplify the realities faced by underserved communities in our region, while supporting the push for more sustainable and inclusive care models.
“ISPAD’s mission has always been to share knowledge and improve care worldwide. Working with A4D allows us to extend that impact in meaningful ways, especially in regions where access to structured T1D education and advocacy is limited.”
Fergus Cameron, President, ISPAD
Novo Nordisk Pharma Thailand
Investing in lives, learning, and long-term impact in Thailand
Since 2017, Novo Nordisk Pharma (Thailand) has been a committed partner in A4D’s mission to support children and young people living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in Thailand. Their contributions focus on improving day-to-day care and creating long-term opportunities for young people across the country.
Through their support, A4D has been able to provide life-saving medical supplies—including blood glucose monitoring (BGM) equipment and essential diagnostic tests—to ensure continuity of care. Novo Nordisk has also helped sustain the ASPIRE scholarship programme in Thailand, which supports further education opportunities for young people with T1D, including university and vocational pathways. Most recently, they contributed to the production of educational and awareness videos aimed at reducing stigma and increasing understanding of T1D in Thai communities.
“Partnering with A4D allows us to support young people with T1D in practical and meaningful ways. To drive their dream and providing opportunity to lead, it’s about helping them live healthier lives and inspire their future.”
Enrico Cañal Bruland, General Manager, Novo Nordisk Pharma (Thailand)
Sanofi's Global Health Unit
Investing in better T1D care for future generations
In the last 3 years, the Global Health Unit (GHU), a not-for-profit unit of Sanofi has partnered with A4D through its T1DThrive collaboration to improve the lives of children and young people living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Through this partnership, we’ve been able to strengthen T1D education in the region—supporting A4D’s T1D camps and training local healthcare professionals to build healthcare worker capacity to better equip teams on the ground. These efforts not only improve care today, but also lay the foundation for stronger, more confident T1D healthcare professionals in the future.
"Cross-sector partnerships are the cornerstone of sustainable healthcare transformation. Through our collaboration with A4D, we've made great strides together to build sustainable capabilities and empower local healthcare professionals to create meaningful, long-term impact. This is transformation in action!”
Jon Fairest, Head of Sanofi Global Health Unit
Zuellig Pharma
Long-term partnership, shared commitment
Since 2017, Zuellig Pharma has stood alongside A4D as a trusted and committed partner. With its strong distribution and supply chain expertise, extensive on-the-ground network, and dedicated employees who’ve actively supported A4D’s mission, Zuellig Pharma has played a vital role in making healthcare more accessible across the region. This long-term collaboration reflects the power of shared purpose—where combining strengths creates meaningful impact and better health outcomes for young people living with T1D.
“Partnering with A4D has been a meaningful journey for us at Zuellig Pharma. We have always been focused on improving healthcare outcomes in the communities we serve, and we are proud to have been able to lend our expertise to A4D for the last eight years to ensure that young people living with T1D can access the care they need to live healthy, full lives.”
John Graham, Group CEO, Zuellig Pharma
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