Thriving with Diabetes: why lived experience must shape the future of care

Across Europe today, more than 60 million people live with diabetes. Behind that number are millions of daily routines shaped by a condition that demands constant attention – often hundreds of decisions every single day. And yet, when we talk about diabetes, we tend to focus on the clinical, the technical, the policy‑heavy. We talk about systems, pathways, and costs.

What we talk about far less is what all of this is ultimately for: helping people with diabetes live the lives they want to live.

This is why the Diabetes Sector Committee at MedTech Europe is launching Thriving with Diabetes – a new platform to explore a simple but powerful question: What does thriving mean to you?

Looking beyond the burden to the possibilities

For many, diabetes is framed primarily as a challenge – and understandably so. It is a growing public health issue, a driver of complications, and a major pressure point for health systems already stretched by workforce shortages, rising chronic disease, and demographic change. But diabetes is also an area where innovation, digital transformation, and better‑coordinated care can make a profound difference. When people receive the right support, the impact is clear: fewer emergencies, fewer complications, better health, and more time and energy for the things that matter most.

Thriving can take many forms:

• For some, it means having the stability to plan ahead with confidence.
• For others, it’s being able to participate fully in family life or social moments without interruption.
• It may be the freedom to pursue ambitions, big or small – or simply the reassurance that diabetes does not define every part of the day.

Everyone has their own definition, and every perspective matters. And that is exactly why we need to listen.

A platform built around lived experience

With Thriving with Diabetes, our aim is to bring together the voices of people living with diabetes, healthcare teams, and decision‑makers to explore what “good” really looks like in diabetes care.

We want to move beyond the traditional boundaries of clinical and policy discussions and focus on the “so what”:

• What truly makes a difference in daily life?
• What does meaningful support look like?
• How does better care translate into a better lived experience?

If Europe wants to strengthen health resilience, improve productivity, and build a more equitable and innovative health system, then understanding what helps people thrive is not a “nice to have” – it is a strategic necessity.

A thriving community means a thriving Europe

A Europe where people with diabetes can thrive is a healthier, more engaged, more creative Europe. It is a Europe where individuals have the energy to participate fully in society, where families feel supported, and where health systems can focus resources where they are needed most. The medtech industry has a role to play – not by dictating solutions, but by listening, learning, and contributing to a shared understanding of what meaningful progress looks like.

Join the conversation

MedTech Europe, the Diabetes Sector Committee, and I invite you to be part of this effort. Whether you are living with diabetes, caring for someone who is, working in healthcare, or shaping policy, your perspective matters.

What does thriving with diabetes mean to you? We look forward to hearing your voice and to building this conversation together.