Type 1 Diabetes Is a Complex Chronic Disease

Type 1 diabetes is a complex chronic disease that is challenging to manage in any setting. In low- and middle-income countries, these challenges are often made even more difficult, when low-resourced health systems are not able to provide the access to comprehensive care that patients need.

Crucial gaps in health services — from appropriate diagnostics and sufficient medicine to medical specialists and reliable supply chains — mean that type 1 diabetes can be a fatal diagnosis for many in these communities.

Through funding opportunities, The T1D Community Fund seeks to advance:

• The impact of community-based organizations working to improve the lives of people living with type 1 diabetes
• Opportunities for collaboration between community-based organizations
• Learning on needs, challenges, and opportunities to better support the type 1 diabetes community in the future

Our Partners

The Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Community Fund invests in the power of local communities for a future where people living with type 1 diabetes can lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

Powered by Panorama Global with seed funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, The T1D Community Fund supports community-based organizations around the world that serve individuals and families impacted by type 1 diabetes.

In 2025, The T1D Community Fund is awarding $1.3 million to 26 community-based organizations across Africa, Central and South Asia, and Latin America. Since 2022, The Fund has invested nearly $3 million in 56 organizations across 37 countries that provide direct patient care, advocate for improved health policies, and expand capacity-building and education programs in their communities.

Community-based organizations provide vital services and have unique insights into the challenges of existing health systems and the barriers faced by people with type 1 diabetes. Yet, their perspectives are often not included in national or global type 1 diabetes planning.

We are thrilled to support organizations working on the frontlines to close gaps in essential health services and related care for people living with type 1 diabetes. The T1D Community Fund grant recipients provide life-saving health services and programs for people living with type 1 diabetes and their families through five types of support: