Diabetes Affects 1 in 6 Pregnancies, WHO Issues Guidelines

A girl is treated for diabetes at Jashpur district hospital in India.

Diabetes is one of the world’s fastest-growing health challenges, affecting people at every stage of life — from childhood to old age.

This Friday, for World Diabetes Day, the UN highlighted how the disease impacts pregnancy, in line with this year’s global theme of managing diabetes “across life stages.”

The organization also launched its first-ever global guidelines on managing diabetes before, during, and after pregnancy.

“These guidelines are grounded in the realities of women’s lives and health needs and provide clear, evidence-based strategies to deliver high-quality care for every woman, everywhere,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

The guidance aims to support the 21 million pregnancies affected by diabetes annually, offering recommendations that recognise how diabetes-related risks evolve throughout life.

Why it matters

Diabetes now affects more than 800 million people worldwide, with around half undiagnosed, according to the new WHO report.

It is a major cause of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and amputations. Its prevalence is rising fastest in low- and middle-income countries, where access to care and essential medicines is often limited.

This year’s World Diabetes Day emphasizes the importance of improving diabetes care throughout life, starting even before pregnancy and continuing into childhood and adulthood.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes occurs when the body cannot properly regulate blood glucose:

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 95 per cent of cases and is linked to overweight, insufficient physical activity, and genetics.

Type 1 diabetes causes remain unknown, and affected individuals require lifelong insulin treatment.

The rising prevalence of diabetes worldwide is placing increasing pressure on health systems.

Pregnancy: A critical window

Diabetes in pregnancy can be pre-existing or first detected during pregnancy. Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy face a higher risk of type 2 diabetes after childbirth.

The condition increases the risk of life-threatening complications, including pre-eclampsia and other hypertensive disorders. Babies face higher risks of stillbirth, seizures, and congenital abnormalities. Children born after diabetes-complicated pregnancies are more likely to develop obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes later in life.

What WHO recommends

The WHO Global Diabetes Compact provides tools to improve prevention and care worldwide.

The newly launched pregnancy guidelines set out 27 recommendations, including:

Eating a diet low in added sugars, with carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and pulses

At least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, including resistance training

Regular blood glucose monitoring

Routine ultrasound scans before and after 24 weeks

Appropriate medical treatment