Patients are at risk to suffer from many related health problems, including strokes, kidney failure, blindness or even death.
Many people don't have access to proper healthcare - And for poor patients, it's even harder to get treatement - and their risk to become diabetic is often very high, because unhealthy food and constant stess increases the risk.
But there are some signs of hope as well, as our reporter discovered when talking to health practicioners and patients from South Africa, Mali, Haiti and Germany,
Reporter: Toni Neumann
Presenter: Neil King
For more information on diabetes you can contact:
International Diabetes Federation https://idf.org/
T1 International Diabetes help https://www.t1international.com/FAQ/
Haiti Foundation of Diabetes and Caridovascular Disease: https://fhadimac.org/index.php/en
Santé Diabète (Mali) https://santediabete.org/