The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that adults living with type 1 diabetes receive multiple insulin injections daily, with dosages adjusted according to their blood glucose levels.
The recommendation is contained in the organisation’s first-ever guidelines on the diagnosis and management of type 1 diabetes in adults, more than 100 years after insulin was discovered.
The guidelines, released on Saturday to commemorate World Diabetes Day 2026, are intended to improve the diagnosis and treatment of adults with the condition across different healthcare settings, including resource-poor communities, emergencies and humanitarian crises.
WHO also called for increased access to affordable insulin, regular blood glucose monitoring and quality diabetes care, particularly in countries and communities with limited healthcare resources.
The recommendations come amid a rising global burden of the condition, as millions of people continue to face difficulties accessing essential medicines and healthcare services needed to manage it.
According to WHO, an estimated 9.5 million people were living with type 1 diabetes worldwide in 2025, while about 500,000 new cases were recorded during the same year.
Although the condition has traditionally been associated with children, the organisation noted that an increasing number of adults are also being affected, highlighting the need for healthcare systems to expand diagnosis and treatment services beyond paediatric care.
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood glucose levels.
People living with the condition require daily insulin treatment to survive and must regularly monitor their blood glucose to prevent potentially life-threatening complications.
Speaking on the guidelines, WHO Director of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, Soren Brostrom, said access to affordable and quality insulin remained a major challenge despite the discovery of the treatment more than a century ago.
He described insulin as a lifesaving treatment but regretted that many people living with type 1 diabetes still lacked access to affordable and high-quality supplies.
Brostrom said the guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations to help countries strengthen diabetes care and ensure that patients receive appropriate treatment, including in areas with limited resources and disrupted healthcare services.
Under the recommendations, WHO advised that patients receive multiple daily insulin injections, with doses adjusted based on their blood glucose readings.
The guidelines also identified human insulin, a manufactured medicine that functions similarly to insulin naturally produced by the body, as an effective and appropriate treatment option.
Other forms of insulin may also be administered where necessary, depending on patients’ individual needs and availability.
WHO further stressed that regular blood glucose monitoring was essential for managing the condition and reducing the risk of complications.
It explained that monitoring in healthcare facilities could involve periodic blood tests to measure average blood glucose levels over the preceding months.
For home monitoring, the organisation recommended finger-prick tests or continuous glucose monitoring systems, which use small sensors attached to the skin to track blood glucose levels.
Where blood glucose testing is unavailable, WHO said urine glucose testing could serve as an alternative.
The guidelines are also expected to support the organisation’s broader global diabetes care targets, particularly its objective of ensuring that everyone living with type 1 diabetes has access to affordable insulin and blood glucose self-monitoring by 2030.
WHO said it would provide countries with implementation tools and guidance to translate the recommendations into practical improvements and track progress towards achieving the targets.
It also encouraged governments to involve people living with type 1 diabetes in developing, implementing and evaluating diabetes programmes, noting that their experiences and needs should inform healthcare policies and service delivery.
The guidelines were released as the world marked World Diabetes Day 2026 under the theme, “Early action on diabetes”.
The theme highlights the importance of early diagnosis, appropriate treatment and continuous management in preventing complications associated with the condition.
WHO warned that undiagnosed or poorly managed diabetes could result in serious health problems, including blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes and lower-limb amputations.
The organisation estimated that the global prevalence of diabetes had increased more than fourfold since 1990.
It further reported that approximately 830 million people were living with diabetes worldwide in 2022, with the majority having type 2 diabetes.
WHO also identified a significant diagnosis gap, stating that more than 40 per cent of people living with diabetes were unaware of their condition and therefore remained undiagnosed.
(NAN)
