Case Study: Novo Nordisk achieves urban diabetes mapping and mobilizes cross-sector action with Vitality Institute

Novo Nordisk - Customer Case Study

Novo Nordisk, a global pharmaceutical company focused on diabetes care, faced the growing challenge of rising urban diabetes: by 2030 the number of people with diabetes could reach 552 million, with a large share living in cities. To confront this, Novo Nordisk launched the Cities Changing Diabetes initiative (including a Houston program) to map urban burden, share findings and drive action. The Vitality Institute (Vitality) featured this work in its Beyond the Four Walls report and community-health resources, using the case to highlight how employers and health organizations can address community drivers of workforce health.

Vitality documented and disseminated Novo Nordisk’s mixed-methods approach—its Changing Diabetes® Barometer, quantitative “Rule of Halves” analyses, qualitative vulnerability assessments, and multi-stakeholder convenings—to promote scalable city-level interventions. As reported by Vitality, Novo Nordisk has established partnerships in five municipalities, collected baseline diabetes data (including contributions to the Barometer from 70+ countries), and engaged over 12,000 stakeholders through forums; these steps have informed local action plans and reinforced Novo Nordisk’s broader targets (treating millions today and aiming to reach 40 million people with diabetes care by 2020).

Novo Nordisk