WHO released first global guidelines for diabetes in pregnancy, aims to curb rising health risks for mothers and babies
The World
Health Organization (WHO) has, for the first time, released global guidelines
for the management of diabetes during pregnancy, addressing a serious and
fast-growing health threat that affects one in six pregnancies worldwide,
nearly 21 million women every year. Launched on World Diabetes Day 2025, the
new recommendations aim to reduce life-threatening complications for mothers
and newborns, while strengthening long-term health outcomes.
Diabetes
during pregnancy including type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes remains a
major public health concern globally. When unmanaged, it sharply increases the
risk of pre-eclampsia, stillbirth, premature birth, and birth injuries. It also
exposes both mother and child to a higher lifetime probability of developing type
2 diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases, creating a multigenerational cycle of
health vulnerability.
The
burden is heaviest in low- and middle-income countries, where access to
specialized maternal and diabetes care is limited. WHO’s new standards are
designed to help improve care delivery even in resource-constrained settings.
WHO
Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, WHO has long had guidance
on diabetes and guidance on pregnancy, but this is the first time, we have
issued a specific standard of care for managing diabetes during pregnancy. These
guidelines are grounded in the realities of women’s lives and health needs, and
provide clear, evidence-based strategies to deliver high-quality care for every
woman, everywhere.
The
guideline package includes 27 evidence-based recommendations, focusing on four
major pillars:
1.
Individualized Care:
Tailored dietary advice, safe physical activity routines, and appropriate blood
sugar targets based on the type of diabetes and stage of pregnancy.
2.
Optimal Monitoring:
Routine blood glucose assessments during clinic visits along with home-based
monitoring for consistent tracking.
3.
Personalized
Treatment: Guidance on safe and effective use of medications for type 1, type
2, and gestational diabetes, ensuring the right therapy for each woman.
4.
Specialized Support:
Multidisciplinary care teams for women with pre-existing diabetes, emphasizing
risk mitigation before, during, and after pregnancy.
WHO
says the guidelines are a significant step toward integrating diabetes care
into routine antenatal services, ensuring timely diagnosis, regular monitoring,
and equitable access to essential medicines and technologies, especially
insulin and glucose testing devices.
The
launch coincides with the 2025 World Diabetes Day theme: “Diabetes across life
stages.” The theme underlines the need for lifelong access to integrated care,
supportive health environments, and policies that uphold dignity, prevention,
and self-management.
Diabetes
today affects over 800 million people globally, making it one of the
fastest-growing and most challenging noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). It is a
leading cause of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and limb amputations,
while the sharpest rise in cases continues to be observed in low-resource
regions.
By
spotlighting diabetes across life stages, WHO is calling for urgent global
action to ensure no one is left behind from children and adolescents to
pregnant women and the elderly. The organization emphasizes that a life-course
approach is essential not only to prevent diabetes but also to strengthen
overall health systems, reduce NCD burdens, and improve long-term well-being.
The
new guidelines are expected to become a global benchmark for maternal health
programs and diabetes care providers in the years ahead.
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