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About World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in over 160 countries. It is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.

WDD was created in 1991 by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization and became an official United Nations Day in 2006 with the passage of United Nations Resolution 61/225.

537M

people are living with diabetes worldwide.

3 in 4

people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries.

Close
to 50%

of diabetes is undiagnosed.

Key messages

Diabetes life

Diabetes can affect every part of a person’s life, often having a negative impact on their well-being.

Diabetes care

Current diabetes care does not include sufficient support for the person’s well-being.

Well-being

Support for the person’s well-being should be prioritised in diabetes care.

Get involved in WDD 2024

Find out all the different ways you can get involved in this year’s campaign.

Learn more

Our partners

Partners of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) help to make World Diabetes Day a global success by providing valuable support for the development of campaign resources and activities. IDF is pleased to have the support of the following partners for World Diabetes Day 2024.