Key information
- The number of adults living with diabetes worldwide has increased to more than 800 million, four times more than in 1990.
- Nearly 450 million adults aged 30 and older are untreated, representing approximately 59 percent of all individuals diagnosed with diabetes.
- 90 percent of these untreated adults live in low- and middle-income countries.
The number of cases of diabetes worldwide has increased dramatically in recent decades, surpassing 800 million adults worldwide. This increase, which represents a quadrupling since 1990, highlights the urgency for comprehensive global action to combat both escalating disease rates and the widening gap in access to treatment, particularly in countries with low and middle income (LMIC).
This alarming trend is attributed to several factors, including the rise in obesity, fueled by the marketing of unhealthy foods, sedentary lifestyles and economic challenges. Experts emphasize the need for immediate policy changes to promote healthy diets and physical activity, and to build strong health systems capable of ensuring prevention, early detection and effective treatment.
The widening gap in diabetes treatment
The study reveals a stark disparity in diabetes prevalence globally, with low-income countries experiencing the largest increases despite still having limited access to treatment. As a result, nearly 450 million adults ages 30 and older, representing about 59 percent of all individuals diagnosed with diabetes, remain untreated, three times as many as in 1990. Ninety Percent of these untreated adults reside in low-income countries.
Regions such as WHO Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean have reported diabetes prevalence rates among adults aged 18 and over above 20 percent. These regions, along with Africa, have the lowest rates of diabetes treatment coverage, with less than 40 percent of those diagnosed taking glucose-lowering medications.
Global response to the diabetes epidemic
Recognizing this global challenge, WHO is launching a new diabetes surveillance framework, which provides countries with comprehensive guidance on measuring and evaluating diabetes prevention, care, outcomes and impact. This standardized approach will enable countries to track key indicators such as blood sugar control, hypertension and access to essential medicines, facilitating targeted interventions and policy initiatives for effective resource allocation.
The WHO Global Compact on Diabetes, established in 2021, aims to reduce the risk of diabetes and ensure equitable access to comprehensive, affordable, quality treatment and care for all people diagnosed. The Pact also supports the prevention of type 2 diabetes by tackling obesity, unhealthy diets and a sedentary lifestyle.
Key objectives for global action against diabetes
Additionally, WHO has set five global diabetes coverage targets to be achieved by 2030, including ensuring that 80 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes achieve good glycemic control. This highlights the urgent need for action to close the treatment gap.
The fourth high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), to be held in September 2025, offers a unique opportunity to galvanize global efforts against the rising tide of diabetes . This meeting will bring together heads of state and government to define a bold vision for the prevention and control of NCDs, including diabetes, through collective action addressing root causes and improving access to detection and treatment .
Strengthening global health systems
The study released today, led by the Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors Collaboration (NCD-RisC) in collaboration with WHO, represents the first comprehensive global analysis of diabetes rates and treatment coverage, based on data from more than 140 million individuals aged 18 or older in more than 1,000 studies encompassing populations around the world. By using an updated methodology to measure diabetes prevalence, this research provides a more accurate picture of the global diabetes epidemic.
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