November 2, 2026

Today is the first Monday of Diabetes Awareness Month. While this initiative encompasses both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, this report focuses on type 1 and its devastating impact on millions of people throughout the world.
 
Approximately 9.8 million people are living with this disease today across the globe. None of them are free from the burden T1D brings every day. This disease remains at the forefront of everything we do, at work or school, exercising, at every meal or snack, settling down for the night, and while we sleep. The burden stays with us all day, every day, and we have no choice but to carry it.
 
In exchange for this constant companion, we pay an emotional, physical, and financial price, none of which can be overstated.
 
So we invite you to join us today in spreading awareness of the disease and fighting for a Practical Cure, so no one has to carry this burden ever again.
 

The Global Footprint of T1D

The infographic above highlights key numbers showing the massive and growing impact of T1D.

Affected Lives

Type 1 diabetes can affect anyone, at any age, at any time. It is not limited to children or affected by diet. It strikes without discretion and cannot be prevented or cured.
 
Today, 9.8 million individuals live with T1D, and that number is projected to increase to 16 million in the next fifteen years. Over half a million people were diagnosed this year, and nearly half of them were children under 20.
 
And, perhaps most importantly, far too many people are still dying from T1D each year. In 2026, over 185,000 people lost their lives prematurely to type 1 diabetes.
 

Disparities in Access to Care

Across the globe, disparities in the quality of care are stark. T1D is particularly brutal in the developing world, where the lack of knowledge, management technology, and, in many cases, basic medical care results in a much higher mortality rate than in wealthier nations.
 

Solutions

The only real solution to this suffering is a Practical Cure. In the meantime, investments in care, coverage, technology, and cost reductions help, but they are only temporary bandages; they reduce the burden but don’t stop it. For that, we need a Practical Cure.
 
We hope you will join us in the fight for a Practical Cure. Make it priority #1 this Diabetes Awareness Month.