WHO issues first-ever guidelines for adults with type 1 diabetes

Released to mark World Diabetes Day on November 14, 2026, the guidelines provide recommendations for healthcare systems in a wide range of circumstances, including resource-limited environments, emergencies, and humanitarian crises.

According to WHO, approximately 9.5 million people worldwide were living with type 1 diabetes in 2025, while another 500,000 were diagnosed during the year. Although the condition is commonly associated with childhood, it is increasingly affecting adults.

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease in which the body produces insufficient insulin, making daily insulin treatment essential for survival. Despite insulin having been discovered more than a century ago, many patients continue to face difficulties obtaining the medicine and medical care they need.

Dr Søren Brostrøm, WHO Director of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, emphasized that access to affordable, high-quality insulin remains a major challenge for people with type 1 diabetes. He said the new evidence-based recommendations are intended to help countries provide effective care, including in areas where healthcare resources are scarce or services have been disrupted.

Under the guidelines, WHO advises people with type 1 diabetes to administer insulin through multiple daily injections, adjusting doses according to their blood glucose levels. Human insulin, a manufactured medicine that functions similarly to insulin naturally produced by the body, is considered an effective and suitable treatment option. Other insulin formulations may also be used when necessary.

Regular blood glucose monitoring is another key recommendation. Healthcare facilities can assess patients' average blood sugar levels over several months through routine blood tests. For monitoring at home, patients may use finger-prick tests or continuous glucose monitoring devices equipped with small sensors worn on the skin.

In settings where blood glucose testing is unavailable, WHO says urine glucose testing may be considered as an alternative.

The recommendations are also intended to support WHO's goal of ensuring that everyone living with type 1 diabetes can obtain affordable insulin treatment and monitor their own blood glucose levels by 2030.

To help countries implement the guidelines, WHO plans to provide practical resources and tools for monitoring progress. National authorities are also encouraged to involve people with type 1 diabetes directly in the development, implementation, and assessment of diabetes programmes.

World Diabetes Day 2026 is being observed under the theme "Early action on diabetes," drawing attention to the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment.

Diabetes can cause severe complications, including vision loss, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, and lower-limb amputations.

The worldwide burden of diabetes has increased more than fourfold since 1990. In 2022, an estimated 830 million people were living with diabetes globally, most of them with type 2 diabetes.

WHO also reports that more than 40% of people with diabetes do not know they have the condition and therefore remain undiagnosed.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that endocrinologist Aidana Kabiyeva had discussed the challenges of childhood type 1 diabetes.