The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a network of private, non-denominational development agencies established by the Aga Khan to improve the quality of life of Ismaili Muslims and the broader societies in which they live, particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East, home to some of the poorest and most diverse populations in the world. His Highness Prince Karim succeeded to the office of the 49th hereditary Imam - as spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims - in 1957. Ismailis consist of an estimated 25-30 million adherents (about 20% of the world's Shia Muslim population). The network focuses on health, education, culture, rural development, institution-building and the promotion of economic development. The AKDN aims to improve living co