# Bridging Gaps for World Diabetes Day November 14, 2024 ![Insulin syringe with needle and stethoscope.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-06/AS_62404725.jpg?itok=3OqebgqF) The global diabetes epidemic is one of the fastest growing public health crises, with the number of people with diabetes expected to [more than double](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01301-6/fulltext) from 529 million in 2021 to 1.3 billion within the next 30 years. That’s concerning, especially considering that diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. November 14 is [World Diabetes Day](https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-diabetes-day/2024), a day to raise awareness of diabetes and the difficulties faced by the millions of people who currently live with the disease. This World Diabetes Day, the theme is “Breaking barriers, bridging gaps,” highlighting the challenges and inequities associated with the disease and its prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management. Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body either does not make enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or is unable to use insulin effectively (type 2 diabetes). Both types result in sustained periods of high blood sugar, which, if left uncontrolled, can damage blood vessels in various parts of the body and lead to serious complications such as nerve damage, vision loss, kidney failure, and heart disease. Around 96 percent of diabetes cases are estimated to be type 2 diabetes. Unlike type 1 diabetes, which is caused by an autoimmune reaction, type 2 diabetes develops over a longer period of time. It is largely preventable and manageable through proper diet and exercise. Minority groups and people in low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately impacted by the diabetes epidemic—not only are people from these groups more likely to acquire diabetes, but they are also more likely to develop disabilities, face economic hardship, and die from the disease. The unequal distribution of disease, deaths, and development of complications is directly related to social and economic inequalities. For example, it may be hard to manage a healthy diet if you live in a food desert, or it may be hard to get diagnosed and treated if you can’t afford a doctor’s appointment and medication. Lack of awareness, stigma, and misunderstandings about the disease can also present significant barriers to diagnosis and timely treatment. Early diagnosis and management is key to preventing complications, but according to the [IDF Diabetes Atlas](https://diabetesatlas.org/atlas/tenth-edition/), in 2021, 44.7 percent of people living with diabetes worldwide did not know they had diabetes; in low-income countries, the proportion of people living with diabetes who were undiagnosed jumped up to 50.5 percent. The *Lancet* [estimates](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00909-1/abstract) that by 2045, three-quarters of diabetes cases will be from low- and middle-income countries. The steep rise of diabetes in low- and middle-income countries reflects the rapid globalization of processed foods and a growing double burden of disease—when countries are faced with high rates of both noncommunicable diseases and infectious diseases, among other health challenges. On this World Diabetes Day, the World Health Organization is reaffirming its commitment to reducing inequities and reaching five [global targets for diabetes](https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/first-ever-global-coverage-targets-for-diabetes-adopted-at-the-75-th-world-health-assembly) by 2030: - 80 percent of people with diabetes are diagnosed; - 80 percent of people with diagnosed diabetes have good control of blood sugar levels; - 80 percent of people with diagnosed diabetes have good control of blood pressure; - 60 percent of people with diabetes over age 40 receive statins; and - 100 percent of people with type 1 diabetes have access to affordable insulin and blood sugar self-monitoring. GLP-1 agonist medications like Ozempic, which have been showing success in helping people to manage their blood sugar and lose excess weight, have the potential to be game-changing in helping the world to reach those goals; however, there will need to be significant action from governments to ensure the drugs don’t compound on the existing disparities that cause unequal distribution of diabetes in the first place. To learn more about diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases, explore our resource pack on [Global Noncommunicable Diseases](https://repository.gheli.harvard.edu/repository/collection/resource-pack-noncommunicable-disease/) or check out the selected resources below. Teaching Resources - [Case: Best Practices to Prevent, Treat, and Manage Type 2 Diabetes in Indigenous Communities in Canada](https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/westernpublichealthcases/vol2020/iss1/8/), Western Public Health Casebook 2020 - [Understanding Diabetes in Latin America: Lesson Plan](https://repository.gheli.harvard.edu/repository/collection/teaching-pack-sugar-taxes-and-ncd/resource/12520/), Global Health Education and Learning Incubator 2018 Selected Resources - [Fact Sheet: Diabetes](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes), World Health Organization 2023 - [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/global-inequity-diabetes), The Lancet 2023 - [IDF Diabetes Atlas 2021](https://diabetesatlas.org/atlas/tenth-edition/), International Diabetes Federation 2021 Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)