The UN is marking World Diabetes Day by drawing attention to how diabetes affects pregnancy and by releasing its first global guidelines on managing the condition before, during and after pregnancy. The new guidance provides evidence-based strategies to ensure women receive consistent, high-quality care across all stages of life, addressing the 21 million pregnancies impacted by diabetes each year. It emphasizes that diabetes-related risks begin before conception and continue through early childhood and adulthood.
Diabetes affects more than 800 million people worldwide, with nearly half unaware of their condition. It is a leading cause of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputations, and is rising most rapidly in low- and middle-income countries where healthcare access is limited. This year’s global message underscores the importance of improving diabetes prevention and care across the entire lifespan.
Diabetes occurs when the body cannot regulate blood glucose. Type 2 diabetes represents the vast majority of cases and is linked to weight, physical inactivity and genetics, while type 1 diabetes has unknown causes and requires lifelong insulin. The global rise in diabetes is increasingly burdening health systems.
Pregnancy is a crucial period because diabetes may be pre-existing or develop during pregnancy. Women who experience diabetes in pregnancy are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later, and the condition significantly increases the risk of severe complications such as pre-eclampsia. Babies face heightened risks of stillbirth, seizures and congenital abnormalities, and children born from diabetes-affected pregnancies are more likely to develop obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes later in life.
To address these risks, WHO’s new guidelines include recommendations on healthy eating patterns, regular physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, routine ultrasounds, and appropriate medical treatment. The aim is to strengthen prevention, improve maternal and child health outcomes and ensure better long-term health for families worldwide.
