WHO releases Guidelines for managing diabetes in pregnancy - Video

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first-ever global guidelines for managing diabetes during pregnancy, a condition affecting approximately one in six pregnancies worldwide, or around 21 million women annually. These guidelines, unveiled on World Diabetes Day 2025, set a unified standard emphasizing individualized care, blood sugar control, regular monitoring, specialized medical treatment, and multidisciplinary support to prevent serious maternal and fetal complications.-

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted that these evidence-based recommendations reflect women’s real-world health needs and outline clear strategies for delivering quality care universally. The 27 core recommendations focus on integrating diabetes management into routine prenatal services and ensuring equitable access to essential medications and monitoring technologies. This landmark step is crucial in combating the growing global diabetes burden, which affects over 800 million people and is a leading cause of cardiovascular and kidney disease, blindness, and amputations, especially impacting low- and middle-income countries with limited healthcare access.