PIIS2213858722003230

Editorial
Diabetes education: the key to a brighter tomorrow

World Diabetes Day (Nov 14) this year marks the access, and utilisation of diabetes education services
midpoint of the 3-year Access to Diabetes Care needs to be a global priority.
campaign, initiated last year in the centenary of the Improving diabetes awareness, education, and
discovery of insulin. Under the theme of Education to knowledge should not just be a goal for people
protect tomorrow, the campaign in 2022 focuses on the living with diabetes and those who care for them―
need to improve access to quality, up-to-date diabetes it must be for everyone. In 2021, in addition to
education for health-care professionals and people the 541 million adults at high risk of developing
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living with diabetes. type 2 diabetes (ie, those with impaired glucose
With one in two people living with diabetes being tolerance), 537 million people were estimated to be
undiagnosed, earlier detection, diagnosis, and institution living with diabetes worldwide―a figure projected to Published Online
November 13, 2022
of best possible care by health-care professionals rise to 643 million by 2030 and 784 million by 2045. https://doi.org/10.1016/
is paramount. A good understanding of diabetes is Although the majority of these cases are type 2 diabetes, S2213-8587(22)00323-0
also needed by people living with the condition to the prevalence and incidence of type 1 diabetes is also For more on World Diabetes
Day see https://
maintain good blood glucose control, stay healthy, and increasing. It has been estimated that by 2040 there worlddiabetesday.org/about/
reduce their risk of microvascular and macrovascular will be between 13∙5 million and 17∙4 million people For the IDF Diabetes Atlas see
https://diabetesatlas.org/atlas/
complications. Diabetes education has a major role to living with type 1 diabetes, an increase from 8∙4 million tenth-edition/
play if the global diabetes coverage targets for 2030 in 2021. Moreover, the estimated 350 000 new cases For more on global diabetes
ratified at the 75th World Health Assembly (Geneva, of type 1 diabetes among children and adolescents coverage targets see https://
www.who.int/news-room/
Switzerland; May, 2022) are to be met. These targets (aged 0–19 years) in 2021 is projected to rise to almost feature-stories/detail/first-ever-
include 80% of people living with diabetes being 480 000 new cases in 2050. With such substantial global-coverage-targets-for-
diabetes-adopted-at-the-75-th-
diagnosed and having good glycaemic and blood increases projected for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the world-health-assembly
pressure control, 60% of people with diabetes aged need to better educate people about diabetes could not For more on benefits and
40 years or older receiving statins, and 100% of people be more urgent. barriers associated with
diabetes self-management
with type 1 diabetes having access to affordable insulin An overarching goal of diabetes education must education programmes see
Diabetes Care 2020; 43: 1636–49
and blood glucose self-monitoring. be to better communicate to the general public their
For more on global estimates
Diabetes self-management education for people risk of diabetes, the seriousness of the condition, for type 1 diabetes see Articles
living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes is cost-effective and the consequences of living with diabetes over Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2022;
10: 741–60
and delivers results. Benefits of structured education the life-course. Crucial to achieving this aim, must
For more on incident
programmes include reductions in HbA1c and episodes be elimination of the stigma associated with having type 1 diabetes in children and
of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, improvements type 1 or type 2 diabetes that exists in so many places adolescents see Articles
Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2022;
in treatment satisfaction and adherence, blood and cultures around the world. Only when stigma is truly published online Nov 10. http://
glucose self-monitoring, emotional wellbeing, and banished, will people be receptive to diabetes education, doi.org/10.1016/S2213-
8587(22)00276-5
quality of life, and promotion of healthy behaviours embrace it, and benefit from all that it has to offer and For more on the global
(eg, exercise, diet, smoking cessation). Above all else, can achieve. problem of stigma in
type 1 diabetes see In Focus
diabetes education empowers individuals, giving Knowledge is powerful and diabetes knowledge Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2022;
them the confidence to manage their condition even more so, as it can save lives. Improving diabetes 10: 698–99
successfully and improve their health overall. Yet, education is not just key to curbing the rise in diabetes
access to and availability of such programmes remains and reducing the associated escalating health-care
an issue, particularly in low-income and middle- costs (US$966 billion globally in 2021), but will also
income countries (LMICs), where 75% of people living contribute to improving wider health literacy. This
with diabetes reside. Even in high-income countries, World Diabetes Day, ask yourself: what do I (still need to)
uptake of these programmes has historically been low. know about diabetes? We all have something to learn.
Identifying and overcoming the barriers to availability, ■ The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology
www.thelancet.com/diabetes-endocrinology Vol 10 December 2022 827

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Editorial

Diabetes education: the key to a brighter tomorrow

www.thelancet.com/diabetes-endocrinology Vol 10 December 2022 827

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