The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a rise in diabetes cases worldwide, with over 800 million adults now affected—four times the number recorded in 1990.
A study, backed by WHO and published in The Lancet, shows that diabetes rates have doubled over the past three decades, especially impacting low- and middle-income countries where access to treatment remains low.
In 2022, about 450 million adults over 30 did not receive needed diabetes treatment, with most untreated cases in poorer regions like South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, and Africa.
Only around 40% of adults in these regions are able to access necessary medications.
To address this, WHO has launched a global plan to track key health indicators, aiming to improve diabetes care worldwide.
This effort supports the WHO’s 2021 Global Diabetes Compact, which seeks to make diabetes care affordable and accessible for everyone.
An upcoming United Nations meeting in 2025 will bring world leaders together to tackle the root causes of diabetes and work on better healthcare solutions.
This meeting is seen as a major chance to set goals that could help slow down the rapid rise of diabetes and improve treatment access by 2030.
