Introduction
World Diabetes Day (WDD) is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin in 1921. Diabetes and well-being is the theme for 2024-25, with a focus this year on diabetes in the workplace. The campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation.
This toolkit is designed to support you in planning and developing your activities for WDD 2025. Read on for tips and resources to inspire you to join our call to know more and do for diabetes at work.
Campaign overview
Our World Diabetes Day campaign highlights the challenges faced by people living with diabetes and those at risk in the workplace.
This November we are calling for employers and employees to improve their knowledge about diabetes and take action to facilitate supportive work environments for people with the condition.
Key messages
Globally, 7 in 10 adults (412 million people) living with diabetes are of working age. For millions of employees, diabetes is a daily reality – but in the workplace, it can often become a source of stress, stigma, and fear.
Despite growing awareness of employee well-being, many people with diabetes still struggle to balance their health with work expectations, leading them to hide or not be open about their condition. This ongoing struggle not only impacts mental well-being but also limits career growth.
As part of the World Diabetes Day focus on diabetes and well-being, this year the International Diabetes Federation is calling for more inclusive and supportive workplaces where people with diabetes feel supported, not stigmatised.
It’s time to eliminate misconceptions, educate employers, and foster environments where employees with diabetes can manage their condition without fear.
By strengthening awareness and understanding, we can ensure workplaces where people living with diabetes feel safe, valued, and empowered to thrive –without compromising their health or ambitions.
Campaign Slogan
Know more and do more for diabetes at work
Hashtags
- #DiabetesLife
#DiabetesLife is the main campaign hashtag. Include this on all posts along with the general WDD hashtag #WorldDiabetesDay.
Key stats
This World Diabetes Day, we want to raise awareness of the need to improve care and support in the workplace to empower people living with diabetes to thrive.
- 589 million adults are living with diabetes worldwide. 7 in 10 are of working age.
- 3 in 4 people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries.
- Close to half of adults living with diabetes are undiagnosed.
- 3 in 4 people living with diabetes surveyed by IDF have experienced anxiety, depression or another mental health condition because of their diabetes.
- 4 in 5 people living with diabetes surveyed by IDF have experienced diabetes burnout.
More diabetes data
You can find more data about diabetes, including global, regional, and national estimates and data about diabetes complications in the IDF Diabetes Atlas 11th edition.
Campaign assets
The WDD Resource Hub is packed with campaign visuals for you to use in your online campaigns and during your events. Download the campaign materials to print or share them online with your network! The resources are available in English, French and Spanish. If you would like to translate the materials, please request the source files by emailing wdd@idf.org
- WDD logo
- Campaign posters
- Social media visuals
- Infographics
- Campaign video (coming soon)
Get involved
This World Diabetes Day, we’re calling on employers, employees and the global community to know more and do more for diabetes at work. There are several ways for you to get involved and support the campaign in your community.
Share your experience of diabetes at work:
We are asking the diabetes community to share their experience of balancing diabetes and professional life. Take our short survey and tell us about your experience, including the challenges faced and support received.
Send a letter to your policymaker!
Take action to advocate for improved access to care and support for people living with diabetes around the world. Send a customised letter, through our online platform, to your country’s Minister of Health and Permanent Mission in Geneva calling for them to accelerate the implementation of the WHO’s Global Diabetes Compact and reach the global diabetes coverage targets by 2030.
Share your activity
Are you planning an activity to mark World Diabetes Day? Add your activity to our world map! Whether you’re organising an activity in your local community, workplace, school or online, we want to hear about it!
Here are some ideas to inspire your activities:
- Activities linked to the campaign focus on ‘Diabetes in the workplace’
- Diabetes awareness activity in your workplace on 14 November
- Activities that promote physical activity (Walks, fun run, bike rides, team sports matches etc)
- Events at schools, colleges and universities
- Diabetes screenings
- Meetings, exhibitions or fairs
- Local, national and regional media outreach
- Online events and webinars
- Lighting up a monument in blue, the colour of diabetes awareness
- Promoting the blue circle as a symbol of diabetes awareness
Organise a Global Diabetes Walk
The Global Diabetes Walk is a global movement organised by the World Diabetes Foundation to raise awareness of diabetes prevention and care. Organise or join a walk this November to help spread awareness and promote well-being!
Take our risk assessment to learn your risk developing type 2 diabetes
Complete our short risk assessment to understand more about your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and learn how you can reduce your risk or delay the onset of diabetes through healthy habits.
Learn more about diabetes on the Understanding Diabetes platform
This year our campaign encourages you to ‘know more’ about diabetes. Our free online courses will help you to understand the care needs of people living with diabetes so that appropriate support can be provided in the workplace and beyond. The courses are an ideal resource for people living with diabetes as well as their parents, friends, carers and colleagues!
Support World Diabetes Day on social media
Social media is a powerful tool to spread the campaign message. We’ll be sharing stories, facts, resources and key messages across our platforms on and around World Diabetes Day. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn and X. Share our content and tag us in your posts to help us amplify our reach!
Download and share the campaign social media visuals!
Planning to use social media in your own campaign? Here are some tips to get you started:
- Share Your Story: Use #DiabetesLife on social media to post about your personal journey with diabetes, focusing on how your experience of diabetes at work.
- Engage with the community: Like, comment, and share posts that resonate with you and join conversations about diabetes at work.
- Spread the word: Encourage friends, family, and your social networks to participate and raise awareness about the importance of support for people with diabetes at work.
Hashtags
Amplify the message of World Diabetes Day using our campaign hashtag. This ensures that all social media material relating to the day can be discovered and tracked by those involved.
#DiabetesLife is the main campaign hashtag. Include this on all posts along with the general WDD hashtag #WorldDiabetesDay.
Continue the conversation
Thank you for joining the World Diabetes Day 2025 campaign and participating in our call to know more and do more for diabetes at work.
For more information and resources, visit worlddiabetesday.org. Together, we can improve the lives of people with diabetes and those at risk.
If you have any questions about the campaign or require assistance to conduct an activity, contact us at wdd@idf.org.
Our partners
Partners of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) help to make World Diabetes Day a global success by providing valuable support for the development of campaign resources and activities. The International Diabetes Federation is pleased to have the support of the following partners for World Diabetes Day 2025.