A policy brief by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) that provides advocates, healthcare professionals and policymakers with recommendations to advance type 1 diabetes screening and early diagnosis.

In 2024:

  • 9.15 million people were living with type 1 diabetes globally.
  • 69% (6.3 million) of people with type 1 diabetes are aged 20-59.
  • 23% (2.04 million) of people with type 1 diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries.
  • More than half of the new cases of type 1 diabetes diagnosed occurred in people aged 20 or older.

Type 1 diabetes develops in stages over months or even years before diagnosis. Understanding these stages can help healthcare providers identify people at risk and intervene early.

Young girl getting her blood glucose tested
The IDF-ISPAD policy brief:
  • Highlights the impact of type 1 diabetes worldwide.
  • Underscores the severity and potentially life-threatening consequences of a late type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
  • Showcases the latest techniques to screen and potentially delay the progression of type 1 diabetes.
  • Provides policy recommendations to improve screening and early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.
  • Shares lived experiences of living with type 1 diabetes from different regions.

Download the policy brief

Policy brief

Detect early, act early: Improving diagnosis of type 1 diabetes

A joint policy brief with the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) that provides advocates, healthcare professionals and policymakers with recommendations to advance type 1 diabetes screening and early diagnosis.
IDF-ISPAD-Policy Brief-T1D-screening-early-diagnosis- pdf 2MB