In 2020, we launched Vision 2030, our ten-year plan to expand support for more young people and drive sustainable improvements in diabetes care. In this update, we highlight our progress toward these ambitious goals, showcasing key achievements to date and addressing the challenges we continue to navigate.
Goal 1: Increase the number of children and young people supported to 150,000
When Vision 2030 was launched in 2020, Life for a Child was delivering essential diabetes care to 23,000 young people across 43 countries. By 2024, we have expanded our reach to 57,741 children and young people in 48 countries—a 150% increase in just four years. This means that since 2020, an additional 34,741 children and young people are now better equipped to manage diabetes, attend school or work, and lead healthier lives.
We’ve also welcomed new partners in Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Zambia, India, Sudan, Nepal, and Somaliland, each facing unique challenges shaped by their specific contexts. Despite this progress, reaching our target of supporting 150,000 children and young people by 2030 remains an ambitious challenge.
Goal 2: Improving health outcomes for young people with type 1 diabetes
We’ve implemented several initiatives to improve health outcomes for young people with type 1 diabetes:
- Extend30: We extended support to age 30 for young adults in low-income countries, providing continued care during this critical period.
- Blood glucose monitoring: We increased the daily provision of blood glucose monitoring strips from three to four per young person, improving their ability to manage diabetes effectively.
- Move the Needle: We transitioned from syringes and vials to more convenient pens and cartridges, enhancing treatment access and usability.
- Basal analog insulin: We expanded the number of centers receiving basal analog insulin. Currently, 54% of our partners are using analogues, and we are documenting the impact of this transition in several ongoing studies.
Goal 3: Encouraging local provision of type 1 diabetes care
These initiatives are helping build local expertise, empowering healthcare professionals to deliver improved care for young people with type 1 diabetes.
- Professional Development: Our mentoring program has connected 42 healthcare professionals from our local partner centers with mentors to support the achievement of their individual professional goals. We have enabled partners to attend international diabetes conferences, encouraging them to share insights and apply them in their own settings, while also promoting horizontal peer learning to exchange experiences and best practices.
- Research and Publications: Over the past four years, we’ve published 27 studies to address knowledge gaps in diabetes care within low-income settings. Profiles of recent research and a full publication list are available for review.
- Diabetes Education: We’ve co-developed carb-counting books to enhance educational opportunities and improve self-management for young people with diabetes and their families.
- World Health Organization Essential Diagnostics List (WHO EDL): Through our advocacy efforts, diabetes supplies were successfully added to the WHO Essential Diagnostics List, improving global access.
- Changemaker Projects: Guided by the principles of meaningful engagement, we are supporting emerging advocates at every stage of their journey. This approach is empowering young leaders in seven Life for a Child-supported countries—Tanzania, Ghana, Burundi, Mexico, Dominican
Challenges and opportunities
As the number of children and young people we support increases, so does our need for resources.
The goals outlined in Vision 2030 are ambitious, but they are essential. We can’t accept a world where young people with type 1 diabetes are left without the supplies and care they need to survive and thrive.
Though our progress is encouraging, significant challenges persist. You can make a difference by donating to help support young people living with diabetes.
Meet the young people driving our vision.
Meet the inspiring young people we support, whose resilience and strength are at the heart of Vision 2030. Click the names below to learn more about each young person featured in the Vision 2030 graphic.
