A flagship public gathering
Communities, people living with diabetes, government, civil society and health-sector partners meet at Constitution Hill.
World Diabetes Day 2026
From Declaration to Action
Act Early. Act Together. Act Now.
A month of public awareness, community action, lived experience and accountability—building a stronger collective response to South Africa's diabetes crisis.
Thursday12November 2026
Constitution HillJohannesburg · 09:00–16:00
Co-organised byPublic leadership. Civil society action.
A month of collective action
More than a day. A campaign carried by many voices.
World Diabetes Day anchors a wider November campaign that connects awareness, storytelling, community leadership and public accountability under one shared national message.
A month of shared messages
Social media, WhatsApp resources and partner networks carry one coordinated call for early and collective action.
Stories behind the crisis
Diabetes: The Human Cost centres lived experience and the everyday realities behind national diabetes statistics.
Action in communities
Local organisations lead education, screening, referral, peer support and public mobilisation across provinces.
Why Constitution Hill
Thirty years of constitutional promise. The test is lived reality.
In 2026, South Africa marks 30 years of the Constitution. Constitution Hill is therefore not simply a venue: it is where the campaign asks what dignity, equality and the right of access to healthcare mean in the everyday lives of people living with or at risk of diabetes.
The conversation moves from rights on paper to timely diagnosis, uninterrupted medicines and insulin, monitoring, technology, screening, respectful care and protection from financial hardship.
Reflect on progress and persistent gapsRenew the commitment to equitable, dignified careRecommit to measurable action and accountability
30 Years. One Right. Many Voices. The campaign invites people to complete one sentence: “To me, the right to healthcare means…”
The flagship gathering
World Diabetes Day at Constitution Hill
Thursday, 12 November 2026 Constitution Hill, Johannesburg Free and open to the public · 09:00–16:00
09:00–10:00
Community activation
Registration, diabetes screening, health education and partner activities.
11:00–12:00
Diabetes from the Ground Up
Stories behind South Africa's diabetes crisis, led by lived experience and community journalism.
12:00–13:30
30 years of the Constitution
From promise to lived reality: diabetes, dignity and the right of access to healthcare.
14:30–15:30
From Declaration to Accountability
Launch of the Johannesburg Declaration Accountability and Monitoring Framework.
Full programme
A community-first day of education, dialogue and action
Open either programme page to read the complete schedule, speakers and session details.
RSVP for free
Diabetes Alliance × Health-e News
Diabetes: The Human Cost
Community journalism takes the campaign beyond statistics—documenting how medicine stockouts, inadequate education, affordability and unequal access affect people and families living with diabetes.
The series is produced with editorial independence.
Read the series
Supported by
Campaigning throughout November
Share the message. Extend the movement.
The partner toolkit brings together ready-to-share social media graphics, a WhatsApp pack, campaign captions, approved logos and practical guidance.
Open the complete partner toolkit
Use the approved materials, tag Diabetes Alliance and adapt the supplied captions to your organisation's voice while keeping the campaign message intact.
Campaign action across communities
Local leadership carries the campaign further
Partner-led initiatives extend World Diabetes Day through locally relevant education, awareness, screening, referral and public participation.
Mpumalanga
Hluvukani Diabetes Support Group
Gauteng
Naledi Ya Pholo
Western Cape
South African Medical Research Council
Gauteng
Reatlhokomela Private Clinic
Acknowledgement
Partners making collective action possible
We gratefully acknowledge the organisations whose support has helped make the World Diabetes Day 2026 campaign and commemoration possible.
Campaign Partners
Campaign Supporters
From awareness to accountability
The campaign asks what happens after the crisis is named.
World Diabetes Day 2026 carries the Johannesburg Declaration into public action and launches a framework for making institutional response, evidence and implementation visible.