28/04/2026
🌍 Reflecting on history made in Jaipur! We are proud to share photos from the inaugural Global Summit to End Diabetes Stigma, held in Jaipur, India, from March 28-29, 2026. One of Our Chief Youth Leaders, Anita Kebadilwe, was honoured to attend and represent our association at this landmark gathering.
This international summit brought together over 300 delegates from more than 30 countries, including advocates, researchers, clinicians and people living with diabetes. The summit was a pivotal step in building on the 2023 Global Pledge to End Diabetes Stigma, which has already united thousands of people and hundreds of organisations across 119 countries. To put the need for this action into perspective, 4 in 5 people living with diabetes globally report experiencing stigma due to their condition.
The summit united diverse voices to develop a coordinated global response to the discrimination and misinformation surrounding diabetes. Key discussions identified blame, fear and disgust-often driven by the misconception that diabetes is self-inflicted-as core drivers of social stigma. Delegates stressed that advocacy must go beyond language, calling for structural reforms in workplaces, schools and healthcare policies to remove systemic barriers.
The event showcased the power of storytelling and solutions, with speakers like Princess Padmaja Kumari Parmar of Mewar, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 40 years, powerfully stating, “After forty years, we deserve freedom from stigma. Anything less is unacceptable.” The summit also reinforced the urgent need to treat people living with diabetes as co-creators of solutions, not as token contributors.
The outcomes of this summit will now inform future global advocacy efforts, research agendas and policy discussions, helping to strengthen a worldwide community committed to challenging stigma wherever it appears.
