WHO releases first global guidelines for managing diabetes during pregnancy – News-Medical

WHO Global Guidelines on Diabetes in Pregnancy: A Framework for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Global Health Challenge

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its first global guidelines for managing diabetes during pregnancy. This condition, affecting approximately one in six pregnancies or 21 million women annually, presents a significant obstacle to global health and development. The guidelines provide an evidence-based framework for improving health outcomes for mothers and children, directly contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The new recommendations are intrinsically linked to several key SDGs, providing a strategic pathway to address interconnected development challenges.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The guidelines are a direct intervention to reduce maternal mortality (Target 3.1) and combat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) (Target 3.4). By promoting effective management of diabetes in pregnancy, they prevent life-threatening complications and reduce the long-term risk of type 2 diabetes for both mother and child, advancing the goal of ensuring healthy lives for all ages.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The report highlights that the burden of diabetes in pregnancy is greatest in low- and middle-income countries. By establishing a universal standard of care, the WHO aims to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare, addressing the health disparities that exist within and among countries (Target 10.2).
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: Focusing on a critical aspect of women’s health, the guidelines empower women by ensuring they receive the specialized care needed during pregnancy. This contributes to the overall goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls (Target 5.6).

Key Recommendations and SDG Impact

The 27 recommendations are designed to be integrated into routine antenatal services, a key strategy for achieving Universal Health Coverage (Target 3.8). The core components include:

1. Individualized Care: Tailored advice on diet, physical activity, and blood sugar targets supports the prevention and management of NCDs (SDG 3.4) by empowering patients with self-management strategies.
2. Optimal Monitoring: Regular blood glucose checks are essential for effective disease management. Ensuring access to this monitoring is a fundamental component of providing universal access to quality essential healthcare services (SDG 3.8).
3. Personalized Treatment: Providing specific medication regimens for different types of diabetes ensures access to safe, effective, and affordable essential medicines (SDG 3.8), which is critical for managing NCDs.
4. Specialized Support: The call for multidisciplinary care for women with pre-existing diabetes reinforces the need for a comprehensive, people-centered health system capable of addressing complex health needs, a cornerstone of SDG 3.

Conclusion: A Life-Course Approach to Sustainable Development

The WHO guidelines represent a pivotal step in global health policy. By integrating diabetes care into maternal health services, they address immediate health risks while promoting a life-course approach to NCD prevention, as emphasized by the World Diabetes Day 2025 theme, “Diabetes across life stages.” The implementation of these guidelines is crucial for making substantive progress on SDGs 3, 5, and 10, ensuring that no woman or child is left behind in the pursuit of global health and well-being.

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article’s central theme is the release of WHO guidelines to manage diabetes during pregnancy, a significant health issue affecting “21 million women annually.” This directly aligns with the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. The focus on preventing “life-threatening conditions such as pre-eclampsia, stillbirth, and birth injuries” and combating noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes reinforces this connection.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The article explicitly highlights health disparities, stating that “The burden is greatest in low- and middle-income countries, where access to specialized care and resources may be limited.” The guidelines and the associated campaign aim to address this by calling for “equitable access to essential medicines and technologies” and ensuring that “no one is left behind,” which is the core principle of reducing inequalities.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The article focuses on a health condition that exclusively affects women during pregnancy. By aiming to “deliver high-quality care for every woman, everywhere” and strengthening maternal health, the initiative contributes to empowering women by ensuring their health and well-being, which is a fundamental aspect of gender equality.

2. Specific SDG Targets Identified

Targets under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio. The article addresses this by focusing on managing diabetes in pregnancy to prevent “life-threatening conditions such as pre-eclampsia,” a leading cause of maternal death.
2. Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age. The guidelines aim to reduce the risk of “stillbirth, and birth injuries,” which directly contributes to this target.
3. Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The article is centered on managing diabetes, a major NCD, and preventing its “long-term consequences,” such as the “lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases for both mother and child.”
4. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services. The article supports this target by promoting the integration of diabetes care into “routine antenatal services” and advocating for “equitable access to essential medicines and technologies” to provide “high-quality care for every woman, everywhere.”

Target under SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

1. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all. The article addresses the health dimension of this target by highlighting the disproportionate burden of diabetes in pregnancy on women in “low- and middle-income countries” and calling for action to ensure that “no one is left behind” in accessing care.

Target under SDG 5: Gender Equality

1. Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. The management of health during pregnancy is a critical component of reproductive healthcare. By establishing a “specific standard of care for managing diabetes during pregnancy” within antenatal services, the guidelines contribute to this target.

3. Indicators for Measuring Progress

Indicators for SDG 3 Targets

• Prevalence of diabetes in pregnancy: The article states the condition affects “about one in six pregnancies.” Tracking this prevalence rate would measure progress in prevention and management.
• Incidence of maternal and newborn complications: The article mentions risks like “pre-eclampsia, stillbirth, and birth injuries.” Measuring the rates of these complications among women with diabetes in pregnancy would serve as a direct indicator of the effectiveness of the new guidelines.
• Integration of diabetes care into antenatal services: The article underscores the importance of “integrating diabetes care into routine antenatal services.” An indicator would be the percentage of antenatal clinics that provide comprehensive diabetes screening and management as part of their standard care.
• Access to essential medicines and technologies: The article calls for “equitable access to essential medicines and technologies.” Progress could be measured by the availability and affordability of treatments and monitoring tools (e.g., blood glucose monitors) for pregnant women, especially in low-resource settings.

Indicator for SDG 10 Target

• Disparity in access to care: The article notes that the “burden is greatest in low- and middle-income countries.” An indicator would be the difference in access rates to specialized diabetes care during pregnancy between high-income and low- and middle-income countries.

Indicator for SDG 5 Target

• Coverage of specialized antenatal care: The article advocates for “high-quality care for every woman.” An indicator would be the proportion of pregnant women with diabetes who receive care according to the new WHO guidelines, measuring the reach of these essential health services for women.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: news-medical.net