14th November 2025
Every year on 14 November, the world comes together to mark World Diabetes Day: a day of awareness, advocacy and action. This day isn’t just about facts and figures, it’s about the lives behind them, the work we still must do, and the promise of a better, more inclusive future for everyone living with diabetes.
Why World Diabetes Day Matters
The campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). It was launched in 1991, and since then has grown into the largest global diabetes awareness campaign, reaching over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries and territories.
The date, 14 November, was chosen to honour the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, one of the co-discoverers of insulin: a landmark in diabetes treatment.
Theme & Focus for 2025
The theme for 2025 is “Diabetes and Well-being”. The emphasis is not solely on treatment or prevention, but on the holistic well-being of people with diabetes, physical, mental and societal.
A special campaign focus for 2025 is “Diabetes and the workplace” / “Know more and do more for diabetes at work”, drawing attention to the challenges of managing diabetes in working-age adults, in workplaces that may lack awareness or support.
Spotlight: Voices & Facts from the Image
Fact: “7 in 10 people living with diabetes are of working age.”
“Diabetes impacts my anxiety and it affects my communication and confidence. This has impacted my acceptance and trust within my team and my progression at work.” — Anonymous, T1D
Fact: “3 in 4 people living with diabetes have experienced anxiety, depression or another mental health condition because of their diabetes.”
“People can face a lot of unfair treatment at work because there are misconceptions about their capabilities and what they’re able to do.” — Heather, T2D
Fact: “4 in 5 people living with diabetes experienced diabetes burnout.”
“I don’t tell anyone about it. I inject my insulin in the bathroom. It took some years to convince my employer that I have the same competencies even though I have diabetes.” — Anita, T1D
What Well-Being Means in this Context
In the context of this campaign, “well-being” includes:
- Physical well-being: Access to diagnosis, treatment, medicines (e.g., insulin, monitoring), prevention of complications.
- Mental and emotional well-being: Support for anxiety, depression, burnout; recognizing that living with diabetes carries a heavy emotional load.
- Societal & workplace well-being: Safe, inclusive, understanding work environments; fair treatment; breaking misconceptions; enabling participation, productivity and dignity in work.
For example: the IDF notes that in the workplace, people with diabetes may face stigma, discrimination and exclusion and that creating healthy work-environments (with access to physical activity, healthy food, mental health support) is part of the solution.
A Call to Action
Whether you live with diabetes, you care for someone who does, you manage a team, or you simply believe in health equity. 14 November isn’t just a day on the calendar. It’s a call to step up.
Let’s use the theme of well-being to broaden our thinking:
- no longer seeing diabetes only as “manage your blood sugar” but as “live your life fully”.
- no longer assuming the workplace is neutral but making it supportive.
- no longer hiding from diabetes but owning dignity, confidence, and inclusion.
Because every statistic is a person. Every voice matters. And together, we can move from awareness to action and build workplaces, communities and systems where people with diabetes don’t just survive, but thrive.
For more information and detailed program visit the website.
Published in GI-Mail 11/2025 (English edition).
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