Changing Diabetes in Children (CDiC) programme

Childhood type 1 diabetes is a common chronic condition with high mortality rate, particularly in low-and-middle income countries where access to care is compromised.  It’s estimated that 1.8 million children and young people live with this health condition worldwide 1, and a modelling study suggested nearly half of cases might be missed. 2 It’s a condition that can often go unnoticed, and even when properly diagnosed, it can be a life and death situation due to lack of access to critical medical supplies like blood glucose monitoring, and low awareness about appropriate management.

Through the public-private partnership Changing Diabetes® in Children, we are working together with governments, key opinion leaders, diabetes associations and other implementing partners to strengthen local capacity and ensure lasting impact by training healthcare professionals and establishing accessible clinic networks, which are a vital component of improving access to care and diabetes care management.

Four components of comprehensive care

Since its launch in 2009, Changing Diabetes® in Children has evolved from a hub-and-spoke pilot into a global programme built on public–private partnerships focused on four core pillars:

Looking ahead

Alongside its impact, Changing Diabetes® in Children has generated important insights into what enables impactful diabetes care in low-resource settings and put us one step closer to our goal of reaching 100,000 children and adolescents living with diabetes by 2030. Comprehensive education and capacity-building, long-term partnerships rooted in local ownership and digital tools to inform practice and policy have all proven essential to lasting care.

As we enter a new phase, we are intensifying our efforts to help countries to lead and sustain their diabetes programs independently. By maximizing country ownership, we forge a sustainable and durable approach to ensure quality care reaches every child who needs it, regardless of their location.