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In rural communities, safe diabetes care can be out of reach. Diabetes advocate Riddhi Modi recalls hearing about families travelling for hours to reach the nearest hospital, people going undiagnosed until complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis or vision loss appear, and others struggling to access insulin and test strips.
Their experiences show that patient safety depends on receiving the right diagnosis at the right time, being supported by trained healthcare professionals and having reliable access to medicines, supplies and ongoing diabetes education.
For people with diabetes, patient safety is not a one-off concern. It matters from diagnosis onwards, across years of management, monitoring and contact with health services. That is why World Patient Safety Day 2026 is particularly relevant to the diabetes community.
Observed on 17 September, this year’s campaign focuses on “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases” under the slogan “Safe care for life!”. It calls for safer, higher-quality care for long-term conditions such as diabetes, across diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management.
Advice given during a brief clinic visit may be difficult to sustain once a person returns to everyday life
Patient safety in diabetes extends far beyond avoiding errors in a hospital or clinic. It begins with timely diagnosis and continues through safe medicine use, glucose monitoring, technology, and ongoing support. For people who use insulin, the right insulin, dose, and timing must match individual needs, and they also need the knowledge and tools to respond to changes in glucose levels.
Safe diabetes care must also be accessible. When medicines, monitoring supplies, technology, education or trained healthcare professionals are difficult to access, managing diabetes safely becomes much harder. The 2026 World Patient Safety Day campaign places this within a broader challenge: creating health systems that can deliver safe, dependable care throughout a person’s life.
Treatment should be individualised and decisions made with, rather than simply for, the person living with diabetes. We know that clear explanations, education and ongoing support help people use medicines and technology safely while maintaining care during treatment changes or transitions between services.
The need for continuous diabetes care becomes a critical juncture when access to treatment is uncertain. People in low- and middle-income countries, humanitarian settings or areas with limited specialist services may face interruptions in access to insulin, glucose monitoring, diabetes education and follow-up.
For someone who depends on insulin, even a short disruption in treatment can bring consequences. Patient safety means whether people can rely on the medicines, supplies, information, and healthcare support they need every day.
The latest International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas estimates that 589 million adults aged 20–79 were living with diabetes in 2024 — around one in nine adults worldwide. This number is projected to rise to 853 million by 2050.
An estimated 252 million adults living with diabetes – two in five – are undiagnosed. Many may only receive a diagnosis once complications have developed, missing opportunities for earlier management and support. These figures underline why patient safety must encompass the whole diabetes care pathway.
Patient safety depends on receiving the right diagnosis at the right time, being supported by trained healthcare professionals and having reliable access to medicines
A delayed or missed diagnosis can increase the risk of acute complications; greater awareness of symptoms, appropriate testing and timely referral can reduce this risk.
Errors involving insulin or other glucose-lowering medicines can cause serious harm, particularly if the wrong dose is given or treatment changes are not communicated clearly. Careful prescribing, clear instructions and regular review are important safeguards.
Keeping people with diabetes safe requires more than individual knowledge or careful self-management. Healthcare professionals need appropriate training, clear protocols and reliable information. Health services need dependable supply chains for insulin, other medicines and monitoring technologies, alongside referral pathways that allow people to move between primary, specialist and hospital care without losing continuity.
Treatment changes, test results and follow-up need to be communicated accurately. People living with diabetes, families and caregivers are central to safer care too. Involving them in decisions and providing the information and support they need can make care safer and more responsive.
Knowing what safe care looks like does not mean everyone can access it. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2022 almost 450 million adults aged 30 years and older with diabetes were not receiving treatment. Around 90% lived in low- and middle-income countries.
Access to newer technologies is also uneven. IDF highlights affordability, healthcare infrastructure and the need for trained healthcare professionals as barriers to continuous glucose monitoring, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Safer care therefore requires health systems capable of turning clinical guidance into affordable, accessible and continuous care.
Several global initiatives are helping strengthen diabetes care. The WHO Global Diabetes Compact sets five coverage targets for 2030, including diagnosing 80% of people living with diabetes and ensuring that everyone with type 1 diabetes has access to affordable insulin and blood glucose self-monitoring.
The WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (WHO PEN) provides protocols and tools for detecting and managing diabetes and other NCDs in resource-limited settings, supporting standardised diagnosis, treatment and follow-up closer to where people live.
IDF and FIND have developed educational resources on continuous glucose monitoring for people living with diabetes and healthcare professionals in low- and middle-income countries, supporting safe and effective CGM use as access expands.
Access to newer technologies is also uneven. IDF highlights affordability, healthcare infrastructure and the need for trained healthcare professionals as barriers
World Patient Safety Day provides an opportunity to turn these commitments into action. Three priorities stand out: earlier diagnosis, reliable access to essential diabetes care, and stronger systems for long-term support.
This World Patient Safety Day, “Safe care for life!” must mean making safe, quality diabetes care available throughout life — from diagnosis to management, monitoring and long-term support.
Achieving that will require more than preventing individual errors. It means building health systems that people living with diabetes can depend on, wherever they live. Safer and more equitable care can help people avoid preventable harm, maintain their quality of life and live well with diabetes.
