Using big data to improve population health and resource allocation for people with diabetes in Malaysia The project aims to inform public policies concerning diabetes in Malaysia by producing evidence of its impact on people living with diabetes, on the health care system and society in general. Living with diabetes is a challenge and we will analyse how it affects people's health, for example by damaging the heart, eyes, feet and kidneys. We will also investigate the pressure that diabetes puts on Malaysia as a country, in terms of both human suffering and money. With the cost pressure set to grow, there are several opportunities to improve care for people with diabetes. We will analyse how the type of patient and access to different types of care may affect the health of people with diabetes, with a special focus on the poorest groups of society. The most deprived homes are likely to experience more harmful consequences of diabetes than those least deprived and tailored care approaches should be designed to meet the diversity of needs within the diabetic population.   The project will use data from people with type 2 diabetes in Malaysia provided through several large health datasets including the Malaysian National Diabetes Register, several clinical trials and a cohort study. Researchers from Malaysia and the United Kingdom will collaborate closely to develop a type 2 diabetes simulation model suitable for the Malaysian diabetic population. We will use the model to predict both diabetes-related health consequences and costs over the lifetime of people with diabetes in Malaysia. This will help identify opportunities and strategies for improving care for people with diabetes. These strategies are likely to incorporate a variety of complementary actions, from increasing the support for lifestyle changing behaviour, to improving education about diabetes and introducing health-improving and cost-saving drugs. Using the simulation model, we will be able to measure the impact of the proposed care plans relative to current care and evaluate whether they could achieve improvements in the health of people with diabetes and represent good value for money in Malaysia. Furthermore, in addition to assessing the healthcare system expenditure due to diabetes, we will also compare the difference in private payments between people with and without diabetes. This is to learn whether people with diabetes are at increased risk of poverty, and to inform debates about what additional financial support they may need compared to people without diabetes.   The findings from the project will be used to support national health policy and planning in Malaysia and improve healthcare spending for the treatment and prevention of diabetes. We intend to work closely with policy-makers and aim to help them build their capacity to tackle the challenges presented by diabetes. For example, we will hold workshops in Malaysia that will focus on the use of simulation models to strengthen evidence-based policy. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.