![Colorful fruits and vegetables next to a lancet, glucometer, syringe, and stethoscope.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/2025-12/AS_233958962.jpg?itok=_cxNx3Sq) # Diabetes Prevention and Care for All Ages World Diabetes Day, celebrated annually on November 14, aims to raise awareness about the growing global burden of diabetes and call for action to address diabetes in health systems worldwide. November 14, 2025 Chances are, you know someone with diabetes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 14 percent, or about one in seven adults were living with diabetes in 2022. In 1990, the prevalence of diabetes in adults was half of that—only 7 percent. As more countries gain access to western diets characterized by more processed foods high in sugar and fats, diabetes has become one of the world’s fastest growing public health concerns, both for adults and for children. Recent estimates from [the Lancet](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01301-6/fulltext) predict that the number of people living with diabetes will grow from 529 million people in 2021 to more than 1.3 billion people by 2050. [World Diabetes Day](https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-diabetes-day/2025), celebrated annually on November 14, aims to raise awareness about the growing global burden of diabetes and call for action to address diabetes in health systems worldwide. This year’s theme, “Diabetes across life stages” represents how diabetes can affect people of all ages, from childhood through older adulthood. Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that is typically categorized into two types: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin, while Type 2 occurs when the body is unable to use the insulin it makes effectively. Insulin helps the body regulate blood sugar. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to sustained periods of high blood sugar, which may damage blood vessels in various parts of the body and cause serious complications such as nerve damage, vision loss, kidney failure, and heart disease. Type 1 diabetes is often diagnosed in childhood, though it can also develop in adults. It’s thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction, so there are no known ways to prevent type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is much more common, making up about [96 percent](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01301-6/fulltext) of diabetes cases in 2021. Type 2 diabetes typically develops over a longer period of time and is largely preventable and manageable through diet, exercise, and medications. Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 tends to develop more often in adults over 40; however, a growing number of children and young adults are developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability, so prevention and management of diabetes is a key global health priority. As such, monitoring and early diagnosis are critical. [New research](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(25)00217-7/fulltext) shows that the world has been making progress in providing diagnosis to people with diabetes; however, a significant proportion of people—44 percent of all people with diabetes in 2023—remain undiagnosed. Accessing diagnosis and treatment is especially a challenge in low- and middle-income countries, where health systems are weaker and prevalence of diabetes is growing fastest. Rates of diagnosis also vary across age groups, with young adults more likely to go undiagnosed compared to older age groups. To address the rising global burden of diabetes, the World Health Organization is calling for better integration of diabetes prevention and management efforts across all stages of life. This might look like strengthening health systems to increase early diagnosis and improve care, but it can also include more personal and community approaches, such as age-appropriate education and training about healthy habits, helping people monitor and manage symptoms independently while balancing work, school, and busy lifestyles, and supporting management of diabetes alongside other health conditions. Such interventions will make a difference in the lives of many. To learn more about the global burden of diabetes, explore our [Global Noncommunicable Diseases Resource Pack](https://repository.gheli.harvard.edu/repository/collection/resource-pack-noncommunicable-disease/) or the selected resources below. Selected Resources - [Global, Regional, and National Cascades of Diabetes Care, 2000–23: A systematic Review and Modelling Analysis Using Findings From the Global Burden of Disease Study](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(25)00217-7/abstract), The Lancet 2025 - [Analysis of the Global Burden of Diabetes and Attributable Risk Factor in Children and Adolescents Across 204 Countries and Regions From 1990 to 2021](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1587055/full), Frontiers in Endocrinology 2025. - [Diabetes Fact Sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes), World Health Organization 2024 - [Global, Regional, and National Burden of Diabetes From 1990 to 2021, With Projections of Prevalence to 2050: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01301-6/fulltext), The Lancet 2023 - [Lancet Series: Global Inequity in Diabetes](https://www.thelancet.com/series-do/global-inequity-diabetes), The Lancet 2023 Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)