What Interactive Research and Development does

IRD Global is a Singapore-headquartered, private non-profit global health organization founded in 2004 that designs and scales evidence-based health interventions for underserved populations in the Global South. Its mission centers on closing health gaps driven by inequity, weak health systems, and limited access to quality care. The organization works directly with communities, governments, universities, and NGOs, anchoring programs within national policy frameworks (notably Pakistan's National Vision for Surgical Care 2020–25) and combining service delivery, workforce training, technical assistance, research, and policy advocacy.

The portfolio spans four core domains: Global Surgery (Safe Circumcision Program and Surgical Systems Strengthening Program in Pakistan), Infectious Diseases (Tuberculosis detection, treatment, and prevention), Maternal and Child Health (routine immunization strengthening), and Mental Health (Peaceful Life, a community-based stepped-care task-sharing model). It is expanding into Early Childhood Development via the Kuyakhanya Programme in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Underlying technology assets consist of standardized training and quality assurance protocols (e.g., for infant circumcision and surgical care), the stepped-care mental health delivery model, and a Playhouse/Community Play Facilitation architecture for ECD — these are operational method frameworks rather than software platforms. Cumulative reported impact includes 41.5M+ deworming treatments, 109M+ childhood immunizations, 11M+ TB screenings, 140K+ TB patients linked to care, and 320K+ mental health screenings.

The business model is grant-funded and partnership-driven rather than commercial. IRD operates through institutional grants, bilateral agreements with governments, and partnerships with major global health financing mechanisms — primarily the Global Fund, with which it issued a Joint Statement of Resolution in May 2026 — alongside academic and community partners. The organization has historically operated in 8 countries and is currently active in 3 (Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa). It employs 1,001–5,000 people and reports through an Executive Director, Aamir Khan. Pricing is not applicable in the traditional sense; revenue mechanics are governed by grant cycles and program-level funding agreements.

Name

Interactive Research and Development

Legal name

IRD Global

Website

https://ird.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

IRD Global is a Singapore-headquartered non-profit founded in 2004 that designs and scales evidence-based health programs — covering surgery, infectious disease, immunization, mental health, and early childhood development — for underserved populations in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Public Health Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Systems Strengthening & Global Health Technical Assistance (BPADAEAH), Communicable Disease Prevention & Control (HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, NTDs) (BPADAIAA), Maternal, Child & Family Health Departments (HLAJAAAK)

Keywords

• Global health services
• Public health programs
• Surgical systems strengthening
• Maternal child health
• Mental health interventions

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

IRD Global designs and scales evidence-based health solutions for underserved populations in the Global South. The organization delivers health programs across four domains — Global Surgery, Infectious Diseases, Maternal and Child Health, and Mental Health — spanning piloting and evaluating innovations, delivering interventions at scale, providing hands-on technical assistance, and catalyzing policy change.

Product overview

IRD Global is a health solutions organization that designs and scales evidence-based health programs. The portfolio includes surgical care initiatives (Safe Circumcision Program and Surgical Systems Strengthening Program), disease prevention (Tuberculosis program), maternal and child health services (Immunization), mental health services (Peaceful Life), and early childhood development (Kuyakhanya Program). These programs operate across Bangladesh, Pakistan, and South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Safe Circumcision Program: Program expanding access to safe, standardized infant circumcision through service delivery and national workforce development in Pakistan.
• Surgical Systems Strengthening Program
• Kuyakhanya Programme

Products and services

• Safe Circumcision Program Expands access to safe, standardized infant circumcision through service delivery and national workforce development using supervised task-sharing models and standardized techniques. Targets governments and health systems in Pakistan.
• Surgical Systems Strengthening Program Works with governments to strengthen surgical care at national and district levels in Pakistan, connecting national surgical planning with district-level implementation.
• Tuberculosis Program Strengthening detection, treatment, and prevention systems for tuberculosis in endemic regions. Has delivered 11M+ screenings and diagnosed 140K+ TB patients linked to care.
• Immunization Services Strengthening routine immunization systems to ensure every child receives life-saving vaccines on time. Has registered 109M+ childhood immunizations.
• Mental Health / Peaceful Life Program Delivering community-based mental health services through a stepped-care, task-sharing model. Has screened 320K+ people for mental health conditions.
• Kuyakhanya Program A holistic early childhood development model combining early learning, caregiver mental health, nutrition, and community engagement for children aged birth to five years in South Africa.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41.5M+ deworming treatments delivered
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Kuyakhanya Program PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIRD Global is expanding the Kuyakhanya Program in partnership with qualified NGOs, NPOs, NPCs, and RTOs in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province for early childhood development service delivery.
• Government of PakistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRD works with the government of Pakistan on surgical systems strengthening, anchored in Pakistan's National Vision for Surgical Care (NVSC 2020–25) and aligned with the Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS).
• Professional Medical BodiesmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRD partners with professional bodies for training and capacity building in safe circumcision services and surgical care strengthening.
• CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRD works alongside communities to deliver health interventions, combining technical expertise with local knowledge to achieve impact at scale.
• UniversitiesmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRD collaborates with academic institutions for research, evaluation, and knowledge generation in global health.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PATH: PATH is a global health innovation nonprofit that designs, evaluates, and scales health solutions across infectious diseases, maternal/child health, and health systems. Like IRD, it combines evidence generation with direct implementation in low- and middle-income countries, often partnering with Global Fund and government ministries.
• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): CHAI works with governments in >30 countries to strengthen health systems, scale access to medicines, and address infectious diseases and maternal/child health — closely paralleling IRD's government-anchored, technical-assistance-led model across the Global South.
• Management Sciences for Health (MSH): MSH builds health systems capacity in low-resource settings through technical assistance, training, and direct program delivery — directly comparable to IRD's Surgical Systems Strengthening and health-system strengthening work with national governments.
• FHI 360: FHI 360 is a global development organization delivering health programs (TB, HIV, maternal/child health) across Asia and Africa with a strong research and evaluation capability, mirroring IRD's evidence-driven, multi-country implementation model.
• Jhpiego: Johns Hopkins-affiliated global health nonprofit focused on maternal, newborn, and child health, infectious diseases, and surgical system strengthening — overlapping IRD's Safe Circumcision, immunization, and capacity-building portfolio in Asia and Africa.
• John Snow, Inc. (JSI): JSI is a public health consulting firm implementing immunization, HIV/TB, and supply chain programs in >40 countries with strong donor (USAID/Global Fund) ties — closely matching IRD's evidence-based implementation model.

Broad incumbents

• RTI International: Large research institute operating a Global Health Division that delivers technical assistance and program evaluation across TB, immunization, and health systems globally — a comparable, but broader and US-headquartered, implementer/researcher peer.
• Abt Associates: Abt Global delivers large-scale health system strengthening, infectious disease, and health-services research globally — a broader, more commercially oriented peer operating in the same donor-funded health implementation space.
• BRAC: BRAC operates one of the largest NGO health portfolios in the Global South, including Bangladesh (IRD's current geography), with strong community-health-worker models for TB, maternal health, and ECD — a large-scale adjacent implementer.

Regional players

• Aga Khan Health Services: Aga Khan Health Services operates multi-country health networks in South Asia and East Africa with a focus on maternal/child health, surgical care, and community-based services — comparable to IRD's anchor geographies and service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/irdglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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