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

Managing diabetes – beyond the numbers

There are 60 million people in Europe living with diabetes. Managing this chronic, life-long condition can mean hundreds of decisions every day, impacting energy, confidence, and the ability to focus on what matters most to each person.

While there is no cure for diabetes, it can be effectively managed with the right support, care and tools. Keeping diabetes in control means better health, fewer complications, and more time for people living with diabetes and their care teams to thrive – whatever that means them.

For some, this may mean having the stability to plan with confidence. For others, it can be participating fuly 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. Thriving will mean something different to everyone.

Supporting a thriving Europe

Effective diabetes management also supports stronger societies and economies across Europe. Diabetes and its complications place significant demands on care teams, strain healthcare systems, and affect participation in the workforce and wider society. When people are supported to manage their diabetes well, it brings significant benefits – reducing hospitalisations, easing pressure on health systems, and supporting more engaged and productive societies.

As Europe works to strengthen its resilience and competitiveness, we must consider the economic and societal advantages of well-managed diabetes within this picture. A Europe where people feel supported, can participate fully in society, and where health systems use their resources effectively is a stronger and more resilient Europe.

What does thriving mean to you?

Against this backdrop, we want to ask a simple question: What does thriving with diabetes mean to you? And what is still needed to get there?

Through this initiative, we aim to explore what “good” looks like for the millions of people living with or impacted by diabetes in Europe today.

By bringing together the voices of people living with diabetes, care teams, and decision-makers, we aim to build a richer understanding of both progress and the gaps that remain. We hope to complement ongoing policy discussions with a more nuanced picture of the lived experiences, aspirations, and challenges of people affected by diabetes every day.

On behalf of the Diabetes Sector Committee at MedTech Europe, I invite you to share your perspective. 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.