For the first time ever, WHO Member States have supported the creation of global targets for diabetes, as part of recommendations to strengthen and monitor diabetes responses within national noncommunicable disease (NCD) programmes.
The five new targets set the standard that, by 2030:
- 80% of people living with diabetes are diagnosed
- 80% have good control of glycaemia
- 80% of people with diagnosed diabetes have good control of blood pressure
- 60% of people with diabetes of 40 years or older receive statins
- 100% of people with type 1 diabetes have access to affordable insulin and blood glucose self-monitoring.
The aim is to reduce the risk of diabetes, and move towards a world where all people who are diagnosed with diabetes have access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable and quality treatment and care.
The recommendations and targets are a core part of work requested by Member States in a resolution at last year’s World Health Assembly (A74/A/CONF./5). This resolution also requested the WHO Secretariat to:
- Strengthen and monitor diabetes responses within national NCD programmes, and recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity over the life course, including considering the potential development of targets
- develop pathways of how to achieve the targets
- provide concrete guidance to Member States on strengthening policies for diabetes prevention and control across all relevant sectors
- provide concrete guidance for the uninterrupted treatment of people living with diabetes in humanitarian emergencies
- promote convergence and harmonization of regulatory requirements for diabetes medicines
- continue to analyse data, with a view to assessing the feasibility of a web-based tool to share information relevant to market transparency for diabetes medicines and related health products
- develop recommendations for adequate, predictable and sustainable financing for diabetes
- report on progress made in the implementation of the present resolution to the Health Assembly.
Far too many people with diabetes have either never been diagnosed or are not able to access the medicines and technologies that could improve their condition”. said Dr Bente Mikkelsen, Director for Noncommunicable Diseases, World
Health Organization.
“As one example, it is unacceptable that a century since the discovery of insulin, many people still cannot access this essential and life-saving medicine. The decision taken today, including the establishment of global coverage targets for diabetes, will empower Member States to accelerate action on diabetes, and support people living with diabetes, around the world.”
A year of the Global Diabetes Compact
Much has happened since the launch of the Global Diabetes Compact at the 2021 Global Diabetes Summit, co-hosted by WHO and the Government of Canada to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin. Six workstreams have been
established, covering vital areas such as access to essential medicines and health technologies, health promotion, and country work. Work has also been taken to implement the Global Diabetes Compact at Regional Office level.
WHO has secured the assistance of leading experts to advise on diabetes technical matters, through the establishment of a Technical Advisory Group on Diabetes (TAG-D). We are also learning from people with lived experience of diabetes, acknowledging that
this principle will help ensure the Global Diabetes Compact focuses on areas where action is most needed. A global informal consultation and focus groups have been conducted with people with lived experiences of diabetes, yielding vital insights
on several topics including diabetes care, education, mental health and stigma associated with diabetes.
In addition, two meetings of the recently formed Global Diabetes Compact Forum have been held, with more than 70 participating organizations from civil society, academic institutions, philanthropic foundations, and business associations. The Forum provides
an opportunity for the exchange of information and ideas that could be organized collectively for greater impact.
Scaling up our impact in countries around the world
The establishment of the Global Diabetes Compact and its associated coordination activities have brought added impetus to diabetes efforts within ministries of health around the world. Across the three levels of WHO, teams have used the opportunity to
support countries in their efforts, providing technical guidance and support advocacy.
Over the past few months, WHO has secured funding for a 3-year project on the prevention and control of NCDs in primary care by prioritizing people living with diabetes in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
WHO has been working hard to integrate diabetes into primary care, using the WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable disease interventions (PEN) toolkit and HEARTS technical package. Mali is one of seven countries in the African Region currently implementing
WHO HEARTS, including training health-care workers on managing diabetes. In South-East Asia, WHO’s technical guidance on diagnosis and management of type 2 diabetes (HEARTS-D), has been adapted into an online training module for stakeholders
responsible for planning diabetes services.
Every year until 2031, the WHO Secretariat will also submit a report on the implementation of the recommendations to the Health Assembly through the Executive Board, on an annual basis and as a component on the report on NCDs.
