Vision 2030:
Five Years On
In 2021, we launched a 10-year plan built on three commitments to young people living with type 1 diabetes. Halfway through, here's how we're delivering on them.
Our Key Commitments
From the beginning, the three Vision 2030 commitments were intended to work together. Expanding access to care improves outcomes, while investments in education, clinical capacity, research and advocacy help strengthen the environments in which that care is delivered.
Continue on to see what five years of progress looks like, in the words of the people it reached.
Dr Souleymane Diabète leads an education session in Mali.
Support more young people in more countries
With our local partners, we now support more young people, in more places, than ever before.
Growing from 23,000 to >71,000 young people
More than tripling the number of children and young people supported since 2020.
Expanding from 42 to 61 countries
Reaching more communities where access to diabetes care remains limited.
Extending support into young adulthood
Recognising the challenges many young adults face in accessing ongoing diabetes care, Life for a Child expanded support to age 30 in lower-income countries.
"I get free insulin and test strips. I am very happy that my parents do not have to struggle with my bills. Thank you for helping me and my family."
Tendai, 15, Zimbabwe
Pictured behind: Dr Souleymane Diabète leads an education session in Mali.
Once uncomfortable with syringes, Maria Isabel now easily takes insulin at university with pens.
Improve type 1 diabetes health outcomes
As access has expanded, we have placed increasing emphasis on the quality of care, working to narrow the gap between diabetes care in resource-limited settings and that available elsewhere.
Expanding access to modern insulin therapies
Introducing long-acting analog insulin and, more recently, rapid-acting analog insulin, helping more young people access treatment options that were previously unavailable.
‘’Some young people screamed with happiness’’
Pilar Gomez, founder and director of DiabetesLATAM, recalls the moment young people heard they would be moving to analog insulin.
Move the Needle: Pens for All
"I prefer to use pens since it is more precise when it comes to injecting."
Eduardo, 24, Panama
Investing in healthcare professional education
"After completing the mentoring program, I feel much more confident in managing pediatric diabetes and making clinical decisions."
Dr Albert Kalehezo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Co-developing locally relevant diabetes education
Creating carbohydrate-counting resources tailored to local foods, languages and cultural contexts, helping make diabetes education more practical and effective.
Apoorva and her father review the carb-counting book for Indian foods.
Demonstrating impact through research
Generating evidence showing that improved access to analog insulins can lead to better outcomes for children and young people living with type 1 diabetes.
Pictured behind: Once uncomfortable with syringes, Maria Isabel now easily takes insulin at university with pens.
Encourage local provision of type 1 diabetes care
Improving diabetes care requires more than insulin and supplies alone. Sustained progress also depends on effective health systems, skilled healthcare professionals, local leadership, and evidence.
Supporting locally led change
Launching the Changemaker Projects to support communities to develop and lead locally relevant advocacy initiatives. Initiatives focused on parent mentoring, peer support and youth leadership, research translation, and media sensitization.
“As an action-oriented T1D youth leader, I believe it is crucial to engage youth in the frontline to address the public health challenges and conjure the desired quality of life for young people battling T1D in Tanzania.”
George Kwayu
Advancing type 1 diabetes epidemiology
Through country-level incidence, prevalence and mortality studies, contributions to child and youth estimates for the IDF Diabetes Atlas, and leadership of the T1D Index in partnership with Breakthrough T1D, Life for a Child has helped strengthen understanding of the scale of type 1 diabetes around the world.
Generating evidence for better care
Leading research that addresses some of the most important questions facing type 1 diabetes care in resource-constrained settings, from access to analog insulins and glucose monitoring to workforce development and models of care. This work has helped demonstrate that better outcomes are achievable and provided evidence to inform advocacy, investment and future approaches to care.
"The doctor alone cannot do everything. Nurses specialised in pediatric diabetes could be of great help in dealing with the technical problems."
Doctor, Algeria. A de-identified quote from survey respondents for the study, ‘Task-Shifting and Task-Sharing in Paediatric Type 1 Diabetes Care’. Published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, December 2025.
Influencing global health policy
Contributing to the inclusion of blood glucose meters and test strips for home self-monitoring on the WHO Essential Diagnostics List, while helping advance discussion on humanitarian access to insulin, meaningful engagement of people living with diabetes, and rights-based approaches to care.
Pictured behind: Healthcare professionals Abaynesh, Tahir, and Elizabeth support young people living with T1D in Ethiopia.
Healthcare professionals Abaynesh, Tahir, and Elizabeth support young people living with T1D in Ethiopia.
A practical example
The West Bengal Model of Care provides an example of how several Vision 2030 priorities can come together in practice.
Led by Dr Sujoy Ghosh, in partnership with government health services, the model adapted and implemented Life for a Child’s Intermediate Care approach within public health services across West Bengal, India. The initiative was built on years of advocacy, collaboration and commitment to improving access to quality type 1 diabetes care.
Published in Diabetic Medicine in 2026, the West Bengal Model of Care reported improvements in glycaemic outcomes, psychological wellbeing and affordability of care. The findings showed that high-quality type 1 diabetes care can be successfully delivered through public health services in a resource-constrained setting.
While just one example, it demonstrates what is possible when access to insulin and supplies is combined with healthcare professional training, strong local champions, government commitment and evidence-informed models of care.
The next five years
Five years into Vision 2030, Life for a Child continues to support healthcare professionals and diabetes centres to provide life-saving care for children and young people living with type 1 diabetes.
At the same time, growing investment, new partnerships and increasing recognition of unmet need are creating opportunities to strengthen local capacity, support greater country ownership and build more sustainable models of care.
These opportunities are increasingly shaping how Life for a Child thinks about the future. Recognising that countries face different opportunities and challenges, we will place a growing emphasis on sustainability, working with partners to understand what long-term success can realistically look like in different contexts and the role Life for a Child can play in supporting that journey.
Raphael is supported by Life for a Child in Kenya.
We stand with pride alongside the healthcare professionals, diabetes centers, people with type 1 diabetes, and families who work every day to improve care in their communities.
The progress achieved over the first five years of Vision 2030 has only been possible through the commitment of our donors and partners, whose support has helped expand access to care, improve health outcomes and strengthen local provision of services.
We acknowledge Eli Lilly and Company, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, Breakthrough T1D, Direct Relief and Diabetes Australia for their enduring commitment to Vision 2030.
