How to close Asia-Pacific’s diabetes detection gap

More than half a billion people in our region will be living with diabetes by 2050 — and nearly 40% of them don’t yet know it. But what if early detection could change everything?

The prevalence of diabetes is accelerating globally, with the heaviest burden in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. By 2050, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) projects that nearly 853 million people will be living with diabetes; more than half are in the Southeast Asian and Western Pacific regions (defined as including the ASEAN countries, China, Mongolia and Oceania)¹.

An even more alarming challenge, however, threatens to overwhelm Asia-Pacific health systems: an estimated four in 10 people currently living with diabetes are not aware of their condition.
So with pressures on health systems already rising across the region, how can we ensure people living with diabetes access the care they need to detect or better manage their condition — and improve patient outcomes at scale?

Integrated diabetes care models can close the detection gap

In an integrated care model, the focus shifts from fragmented, one-off interactions to a holistic system where all aspects of a patient’s journey — from detection and diagnosis to treatment, management, and long-term support — are connected.
By prioritising accessible diagnostic solutions that meet patients where they are (such as point-of-care, mobile, or at-home blood glucose monitoring)², an integrated model overcomes access barriers and delivers faster diagnoses, allowing for earlier intervention.
Local adaptation also ensures diagnostic innovations work within diverse healthcare systems and regulatory environments. This allows newly diagnosed patients to access a coordinated support system with comprehensive therapy management and connected digital tools, wherever they are ³.

Digital diabetes management tools are proven to improve health outcomes

The next generation of diagnostic tools are also allowing people living with diabetes to manage their condition more effectively, reducing the risk of long-term complications and adverse health outcomes.
With AI-enabled Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), people living with diabetes can overcome the limitations of conventional CGM (which only sound a blood sugar threshold alarm when glucose is already out of range, leading to alarm fatigue and reduced adherence) ^{4, 5}.
They have the information they need to make the right treatment decision in real time, preventing blood sugar highs or lows before they happen and reducing the risk of hypoglycemia. They’re informed and empowered to take ownership of their own care.
And by giving healthcare professionals real-time trend data to go beyond single-point blood glucose tests, CGM creates the foundation for shared decision-making in a connected patient journey over the long term.

Case study: Validating Integrated Personalised Diabetes Management (iPDM) in Thailand

A study in Thailand ⁶ proved the value of connecting the patient journey with digital tools.
Traditional, fragmented management tools — such as paper logs — were substituted for remote monitoring on a cloud-based platform, combined with advanced diagnostics (connected glucometers) to deliver specialist care away from healthcare facilities.
Patients achieved better glycaemic control at 12 weeks, and critically, sustained that control through 24 weeks ⁷. The study demonstrates how digital tools combined with advanced diagnostics drive measurable, lasting improvements in health outcomes.

Case study: Delivering effective and affordable remote diabetes care in India

In India, researchers successfully implemented a pioneering diabetes telemanagement system ⁸ that proves patient-inclusivity can be both highly effective and economically accessible.
This programme leveraged tools that combined structured glucose monitoring with targeted, personalised coaching to deliver individualised care. This resulted in significant decreases in patients’ glucose levels while demonstrating remarkable affordability, costing just US$10 per month ⁹.
The project shows that deploying connected diagnostic and management solutions hold the key to improving access to quality care, allowing support to be expanded to more patients across the region without compromising on efficacy.

Championing an integrated care model in APAC

We urge HCPs, Labs, and Policymakers to champion the adoption of integrated care models and accessible diagnostics across Asia-Pacific health systems.
By prioritising decentralised testing and connected digital solutions, we can bridge the detection gap to enable faster diagnoses and give every patient the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health. We can help people manage their condition more effectively, day and night, to significantly improve their quality of life.
If we choose not to, the alternative is to ignore the looming health crisis of rapidly rising diabetes incidences across our region.