World Diabetes Foundation

02/09/2026

"I have many dreams, one of which is to help lift a weight these women carry." – Lucila Cárdenas

For more than a decade, Lucila Cárdenas has walked the streets of Barranquilla, Colombia, supporting women at risk of gestational diabetes. As a nursing assistant with Fundación Vida Nueva, she has helped women access care, adopt healthier lifestyles, and advocate for the changes their communities need.

When women told her there were no safe places to exercise, Lucila and her colleagues raised their concerns with local decision-makers. Today, neighbourhood parks equipped with exercise facilities are helping people of all ages stay active.

To means fostering conversations between policy and people, ensuring that words are turned into actions.

01/09/2026

A mobile dialysis unit is bringing essential treatment closer to patients in Murang’a, Kenya. In rural communities, people living with chronic kidney disease often travel long distances to access dialysis services.

Through the ImpactBridge investment partnership, the World Diabetes Foundation, We Share Forward and Philips Foundation are now supporting Bena Care to expand home-based care, provide dialysis at Kigumo Sub-County Hospital and operate a mobile dialysis unit.

Read more about how ImpactBridge supports scalable healthcare solutions and helps improve access to care in underserved communities ➡️ https://buff.ly/FPsRzHk

28/08/2026

“If you are alone, it is painful. But if you have friends and colleagues, it is easier.” -Luckson Zanamwe.

In rural Zimbabwe, men living with diabetes are showing what it is like to in practice.

By supporting one another, challenging stigma, and encouraging others to seek care, they are helping close gaps in diabetes services and bringing life-saving knowledge to some of the country's most underserved communities.

To means turning lived experience into action, breaking stigma and helping others access the care they need.

19/08/2026

For World Humanitarian Day 🌍, we reflect on our commitment to providing NCD care in humanitarian settings and highlight the stories of people whose experiences show why continuity of care matters when crisis strikes.

For people living with diabetes and other NCDs, care cannot pause when crisis strikes. Continuity of treatment, care and support must be part of humanitarian response from the start. 💙

🔗 Read more: https://buff.ly/UQpgSbX

Humanitarian crises take many forms. Some are sparked by sudden disasters - floods, earthquakes, and the collapse of infrastructure. Others unfold slowly, shaped by decades of political instability, forced migration, and deep-rooted poverty. Whether triggered by sudden disasters or chronic instabili...

13/08/2026

In Bangladesh, trusted faith leaders are helping bring diabetes prevention closer to communities.

Through a long-standing partnership, WDF and partners are connecting faith-based health messages with community screening, referral and follow-up care – helping people take action before complications develop.

This experience was at the centre of the Dhaka International Prevention Summit, where policymakers, health experts and faith leaders explored how faith-based approaches could be adapted across countries. The Summit culminated in the Dhaka Declaration on Faith-Based Diabetes Prevention, a shared framework for integrating faith institutions into national diabetes prevention strategies.

See how Bangladesh’s experience is helping shape a wider conversation on faith-based diabetes prevention: https://buff.ly/MWFNb8G

In Bangladesh, Friday sermons are driving a community-led approach to diabetes prevention that could inspire health systems worldwide.

11/08/2026

What happens when diabetic retinopathy care moves closer to home? 👁️

A recent field visit to northern Peru showed how bringing diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening and treatment closer to communities can expand access to essential eye care.

Through decentralised services, telemedicine and stronger referral pathways, primary healthcare teams are increasingly helping people living with diabetes access eye screening closer to home.

Led by Orbis International in collaboration with regional health authorities, the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (IRO, Instituto Regional de Oftalmología), Eye Care Services at Piura (Hospital Santa Rosa), La Libertad (Hospital Regional Docente de Trujillo) and Lambayeque (Hospital Regional Docente II–2 "Las Mercedes") and the MoH (Ministerio de Salud del Perú), the programme has already screened more than 11,000 people: with nearly one in three diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy.

The experience shows the potential of integrated, locally owned approaches to strengthen health systems, expand access to sight-saving care and help prevent avoidable blindness.

04/08/2026

The Global Diabetes Walk 2026 is now live! 🌍🚶

This year, we're walking for Early Action on Diabetes, because when it comes to diabetes, acting early can make all the difference.

Join people around the world this November in raising awareness of the importance of early detection, prevention, and timely care.

Whether you're a school, workplace, healthcare organisation, community group, or an individual simply passionate about making a difference, you can organise a walk in your community.

Explore this year's campaign resources and register your walk today: https://globaldiabeteswalk.org/organise-your-walk/

28/07/2026

Through the Diabetes Compass initiative, partners across Malawi have been working together to strengthen early detection and management of diabetes and hypertension through better data, digital tools, and stronger connections between communities and healthcare facilities.

A recent field visit to Salima District marked an important milestone in this journey, with the official launch of the NCD module within Malawi's national electronic medical record system, MaHIS, alongside the iCHIS NCD screening tool. Our colleague Jackie Ogutu witnessed how community health workers are now able to screen people for diabetes and hypertension risk, refer them digitally for follow-up, and enable information to flow between community and facility levels through a newly implemented interoperability layer.

This achievement reflects a remarkable collaborative effort between the Ministry Of Health - Malawi's Digital Health, NCD, Nursing, Community Health and Quality divisions, together with Partners In Health, the University of Malawi - UNIMA, and Luke International. By building on existing national digital infrastructure, designing with users, and responding to locally identified needs, the partnership has worked to ensure sustainability is built into the project from the outset.

Alongside the field visits, partners gathered for a multi-stakeholder steering committee meeting focused on the next phase of the journey: post-deployment support, sustainability, and opportunities for scale. With strong government leadership and local ownership, the focus now turns to ensuring these systems continue to deliver value for healthcare workers and the communities they serve.

Deployment is a significant achievement, but the real measure of success will be how these tools continue to support healthcare workers, strengthen health systems, and improve care for people living with or at risk of diabetes and hypertension in the years ahead.

22/07/2026

India is home to nearly 20% of the world’s blind population, with an estimated 70 million people living with visual impairment.

One cause is diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that damages the blood vessels in the retina. Often developing without symptoms, many only seek treatment after vision has already been lost. The challenge therefore lies in ensuring people in rural communities receive screening and treatment before irreversible damage occurs.

In a recent episode of The Health Worker podcast, Dr Krishna Murthy, founder of Prabha Eye Clinic, reflects on the evolution of the Nayana programme in Karnataka, a project supported by WDF.

Through the programme, launched in 2005, partners brought diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment closer to underserved communities using a mobile eye-care model: treating about 55,000 patients and screening more than 65,000.

More than 20 years after it began - and some 12 years after WDF funding ended - the Nayana Eye programme continues to provide the same services, demonstrating the lasting impact of sustainable, locally owned health solutions.

Listen to the full podcast episode now: https://buff.ly/d43NUuS

21/07/2026

In Mexico, tackling diabetes and other NCDs is a high national priority. Nowhere is this more urgent than in the Mixtec region, where Indigenous communities have a high prevalence of diabetes and face challenges in accessing care.

Through our new project, in partnership with the Ministry of Health (Secretaría de Salud) and the National Institute of Public Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública de México), we are supporting efforts to strengthen diabetes and NCD prevention and care in the region. And, as our colleague Jakob saw during his visit to the Mixtec region, community voices are central to shaping this response.

From international partners to indigenous communities in the Mixtec region, the Federal Minister of Health is committed to drive momentum by creating space for dialogue at every level, mobilising actors across the system and strengthening connections between global commitments and local realities.

Change starts with listening, and conversations are happening beyond meeting rooms and brought into community spaces, where local voices shape what care should look like and what barriers must be addressed. By combining culturally adapted community interventions with stronger primary care, digital tools and research, the aim is clear: solutions that are both effective and sustainable.

This is what laying the foundation for change looks like: not quick fixes, but shared solutions built with the people they are meant to serve.