Stats and Facts | Life for a Child with Diabetes

The IDF Diabetes Atlas (3rd Edition, 2007) estimates that there are around 440,000 children under 15 years with type 1 diabetes in the world. There is insufficient data to estimate the number of children with type 2 diabetes, but it must be at least in the tens of thousands.

Of the estimated 440,000 children with type 1, around 250,000 live in developing nations (with 92,000 of these in India alone).

The average life expectancy of children with diabetes in developing countries is unknown. We estimate it varies from a few months to a couple of decades – in some countries there are few if any long-term survivors. Children die quickly of high blood sugar levels through inaccurate diagnosis, lack of insulin or lack of expert care. In other countries, expert care is available but resources are limited and so early and serious complications frequently lead to death in young adulthood.

The IDF “Life for a Child” Program is now supporting 931 children with diabetes in 17 countries:

• Azerbaijan
• Bolivia
• The Democratic Republic of Congo
• Ecuador
• Fiji
• India
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• Mali
• Papua New Guinea
• The Philippines
• Rwanda
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• The United Republic of Tanzania
• Uzbekistan
• Zimbabwe