Strengthening a Global Movement to Combat Type 1 Diabetes

Reflections on the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases

Chronic diseases account for more than 75% of premature deaths worldwide. The global fight against these critical health threats reached a turning point in September 2025 at the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA). In the days before the 4th UN High-Level Meeting (HLM4) on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), advocates, global health experts, policymakers, and funders gathered in New York with a clear, two-pronged mission: shift how the global community responds to NCDs and hold world leaders accountable for delivering on their commitments.

From political commitments to practical action, HLM4 marked a pivotal moment for the integration of NCD care and prevention into primary health systems. For The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and Panorama Global, this week held special significance. As the seed funder and manager of The T1D Community Fund, Helmsley and Panorama together support 55 community-based organizations addressing type 1 diabetes across 37 low- and middle-income countries. The Fund advances this work through a combination of financial support and capacity-strengthening. The momentum from HLM4 offers a pathway for community-based organizations, including The T1D Community Fund partners, to expand their reach and influence.

Actions to Strengthen NCD Programs at the Country Level

The message was clear in every forum: integration is no longer optional. NCDs cannot be tackled in isolation—they must be built into maternal health, youth programs, primary care, education, agriculture, nutrition, and humanitarian response to save lives. Leaders from countries like Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania showed us throughout the week what this looks like in practice: when you embed NCD care into existing health systems and invest in the health workers who deliver it, impact can and does scale.

A second powerful theme highlighted the importance of lived experience, reminding us that policy only matters when it improves lives. Young adults and community advocates living with type 1 diabetes and other NCDs spoke with honesty and urgency about stigma, broken supply chains, and their determination to shape solutions—not just the story. Their message was clear: people living with NCDs, especially youth, are not simply future stakeholders but are already leading change in their communities. Those living with chronic conditions need more than a seat at the table—they need real power to shape programs and ensure accountability.

The week also surfaced energy around shaping public, private, and philanthropic partnerships to deliver results—with an emphasis on government ownership and local leadership. Government support and direction over budgets and coordination efforts is essential to achieving sustainability. Speakers shared a unified message—NCD programs are not merely lines on a budget. They are strategic investments that yield economic and public health returns. Whether through coordinated procurement, local manufacturing, or smarter data use, collaboration emerged as the engine for turning commitments into results. The shift in tone—rooted in action and accountability—was palpable.

Reflections for The T1D Community Fund

The week’s rich discussions affirmed The T1D Community Fund’s critical role in the NCD ecosystem—serving as a bridge between global commitments made in conference rooms to improved access to T1D care in clinics, schools, and homes. This moment reinforced what the Fund's work has shown: real progress starts at the community level. The 55 T1D Community Fund grantee partners—grassroots and community-based organizations improving lives every day—are building trust and driving solutions, even with limited resources. With remarkable ingenuity, these leaders prove that even modest investments in local research and innovation are catalytic. As governments seek new partnerships to expand NCD care through primary health systems, they should not overlook the organizations that have deep history working with their communities. Our partners are natural allies to make national strategies succeed.

Yet, the conversations at UNGA also exposed how easily community-based organizations are excluded from formal systems. Without the right connections or visibility, they’re left out of opportunities for funding, integration, and influence. Even HLM4’s political declaration reflected this gap, acknowledging community voices without centering them—a missed opportunity to embed accountability where it matters most. That is why Panorama and The T1D Community Fund partners co-developed the Global Call to Action for Type 1 Diabetes with our grantee partners, which confronts this gap directly and calls for a genuine power shift.

The T1D Community Fund is positioned to bridge this divide, by connecting community innovators directly with decision-makers, investing in their capacity to lead, and ensuring their lived experience informs smarter system design. Because this week reinforced what community leaders already knew: sustainable change doesn’t come from the top. It’s built from the ground up—by the people and communities closest to the challenge and to the solutions.

As the world looks to 2030, the reaffirmed global commitment to prevent and control NCDs is an opportunity to accelerate progress. We invite you to join in advancing a community-driven agenda by investing in local, long-term solutions powered for and by people living with type 1 diabetes around the world.