Women Deliver Call to Action to Prioritise Diabetes in Pregnancy to Save Lives, Improve Maternal Health, and Curb Intergenerational Transmission of NCDs

Campaigns
19 November 2018
Women Deliver

ICN has joined the Women Deliver Call to Action to Prioritise Diabetes in Pregnancy to Save Lives, Improve Maternal Health, and Curb Intergenerational Transmission of NCDs. Diabetes in pregnancy is an under-recognized, under-prioritized health issue with significant implications for women, newborns, and children throughout their lives.

  • Diabetes in pregnancy is one of the most common conditions seen in pregnancy, affecting about 1 in 7 births globally;
  • The condition increases a woman’s risk of life-threatening complications from pregnancy—like hemorrhage, hypertension, obstructed labor, and infection. It also increases the risk of stillbirth and poses serious threats to the health of newborns, including death from respiratory problems and permanent disability, and;
  • Diabetes in pregnancy is the most reliable marker of future type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke in women. Children born to women with diabetes in pregnancy are eight times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and more likely to develop obesity in teenage years or adulthood;
  • Without concerted attention and action, the burden of diabetes in pregnancy will continue to grow, and jeopardize progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and health and well-being for all.
  • There are currently more than 200 million women living with diabetes, and this is projected to increase to 308 million by 2045;
  • The burden of diabetes in pregnancy is not confined to high-resource settings or countries. It is a serious and growing issue in all regions of the world and at all income levels, with ninety-two percent of cases in low-and middle-income countries;

The cost of inaction on diabetes in pregnancy is clear—backward progress on preventable maternal and child deaths, increased prevalence of noncommunicable diseases at all ages, and rising costs as health systems respond to chronic diseases. We’ve already received nearly 100 signatures from civil society, the private sector, the medical profession, and academia. But we know that in order for this call to truly make the intended impact it needs the support of key stakeholders, and this means ICN!

Please take a moment to read the call to action here.

Thank you for partnering with us to advocate for the health and rights of women and children in this critical issue! If you have any questions, please contact Darcy Allen for more information.