The World Health Organisation has recommended that people with type 1 diabetes receive insulin injections several times a day, with doses adjusted according to their blood glucose levels.\n<\/p>\n
The recommendation is contained in its first-ever guideline on the diagnosis and management of type 1 diabetes in adults, more than a century after the discovery of insulin.\n<\/p>\n
The guidelines, released on Saturday to mark World Diabetes Day 2026, are designed to guide the diagnosis and treatment of adults living with type 1 diabetes across different healthcare settings, including low-resource environments, emergencies and humanitarian crises.\n<\/p>\n
WHO called for improved access to affordable insulin, regular blood glucose monitoring and quality diabetes care, particularly in countries and communities with limited healthcare resources.<\/p>\n
The new guidelines come against the backdrop of a growing global burden of the condition, with millions of people still struggling to access the essential medicines and healthcare services required to manage it.\n<\/p>\n
According to WHO, an estimated 9.5 million people were living with type 1 diabetes globally in 2025, while another 500,000 people were diagnosed with the condition within the same year.\n<\/p>\n
Although type 1 diabetes has traditionally been associated with childhood, WHO noted that the condition is increasingly affecting adults.<\/p>\n
It highlighted the need for healthcare systems to strengthen diagnosis and treatment services beyond paediatric care.\n<\/p>\n
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels.<\/p>\n
People living with the condition depend on daily insulin treatment to survive and must regularly monitor their blood glucose to prevent potentially life-threatening complications.\n<\/p>\n
Speaking on the new recommendations, WHO Director of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, Dr Soren Brostrom, said access to affordable and quality insulin remained a major challenge, despite the treatment being discovered more than 100 years ago.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cInsulin is a lifesaving treatment, discovered more than 100 years ago. Yet many people with type 1 diabetes do not have access to affordable and high-quality insulin,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
He explained that the guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations to help countries improve diabetes care.\n<\/p>\n
According to WHO, they also ensure that people living with the condition receive appropriate treatment, even in settings where resources are limited and health services are disrupted.<\/p>\n
Under the new recommendations, WHO advises that people with type 1 diabetes receive insulin through multiple daily injections, with doses adjusted according to their blood glucose levels. <\/p>\n
The guidelines identify human insulin, a manufactured medicine that works similarly to insulin naturally produced by the human body, as an appropriate and effective treatment option.\n<\/p>\n
Other types of insulin may also be used where necessary, depending on individual needs and availability.\n<\/p>\n
Beyond insulin treatment, WHO emphasises the importance of regular blood glucose monitoring as a critical component of managing the condition and reducing the risk of complications.\n<\/p>\n
At healthcare facilities, it said monitoring may involve periodic blood tests that measure average blood glucose levels over the preceding few months.\n<\/p>\n
At home, it recommends that patients monitor their blood glucose through finger-prick testing or continuous glucose monitoring systems, which use small sensors worn on the skin to track glucose levels.\n<\/p>\n
In settings where blood glucose testing is unavailable, WHO said urine glucose testing may be considered as an alternative.<\/p>\n
The recommendations are also intended to support WHO\u2019s broader global targets for diabetes care, particularly the goal of ensuring that all people living with type 1 diabetes have access to affordable insulin treatment and blood glucose self-monitoring by 2030.\n<\/p>\n
To translate the recommendations into practical improvements, WHO said it would support countries with implementation tools and guidance to monitor progress towards the targets.\n<\/p>\n
The health agency also urged countries to involve people living with type 1 diabetes in the design, implementation and evaluation of diabetes programmes, recognising that patients\u2019 experiences and needs should inform policies and healthcare delivery.\n<\/p>\n
The release of the guidelines is particularly significant as the world marks World Diabetes Day 2026 with the theme, \u201cEarly action on diabetes\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
The theme underscores the importance of timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment and sustained management in preventing complications.\n<\/p>\n
Diabetes, when left undiagnosed or inadequately managed, can lead to serious health complications, including blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes and lower-limb amputations.\n<\/p>\n
WHO estimates that the global burden of diabetes has increased more than fourfold since 1990.<\/p>\n
It noted that approximately 830 million people were living with diabetes worldwide in 2022, the majority of whom had type 2 diabetes.\n<\/p>\n
WHO also highlighted a major gap in diagnosis, noting that more than 40 per cent of people living with diabetes do not know they have the condition and therefore remain undiagnosed.\n <\/p>\n
Source: <\/p>\n
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