Type 1 Diabetes can start early. So can you.
Early screening saves lives. It’s simple, safe, and available in many countries.
Learn how one small act today can make a difference tomorrow.
What if you could act before symptoms appear?
Every year, type 1 diabetes affects hundreds of thousands of young people.In 2025 alone, an estimated 513,000 new cases were newly diagnosed worldwide, including 164,000 children aged 0–14 years and 58,000 teenagers aged 15–19 years. The number of cases has grown by 2.4% in just one year.
Early detection can change everything. It helps prevent severe complications, gives families time to prepare, and ensures timely access to care. Screening is simple, painless, and already available in several European countries.
Take action today
Prevent severe complications
Give families time to prepare
Enable access to disease-modifying therapies
Connect with support networks early
The numbers speak for themselves
in 2025 alone.
cases in one year
DKA at diagnosis
early detection
offering screening
How does screening work?
Type 1 diabetes is a gradual process, moving through stages before symptoms are noticeable. Screening is done using a simple blood test that checks for proteins called islet autoantibodies. These autoantibodies show that the immune system has begun reacting against the insulin‑producing cells in the pancreas.
If a child has two or more of these autoantibodies on more than one test,
this means they have entered early‑stage type 1 diabetes, even if they feel completely well.
Register or accept your invitation
Have a quick, simple blood test
Get your results and guidance
Voices with lived experience
Behind every early detection story is a personal experience. In this short testimonial, members of the Type 1 diabetes community share why early screening matters to them and why raising awareness across Europe is so important. Their voices remind us that small actions today can make a meaningful difference for families tomorrow.
Understanding Type 1 Diabetes
An overview of how T1D develops and what takes place in the body before symptoms emerge.
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
T1D is an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This process begins months or years before symptoms appear.
Who does it affect?
T1D can develop at any age, but it’s most commonly diagnosed in children, teenagers and young adults. Globally, 9.5 million people are currently living with T1D, including 1.85 million under 20 years old, and the number is projected to rise to 14.7 million by 2040.
The power of early detection
Screening can identify T1D risk before symptoms appear, preventing life-threatening complications and giving families time to prepare for proper care.
Stages of T1D
Type 1 diabetes develops in stages. Screening can detect the disease long before symptoms appear.
Stage 1
Autoimmunity has already started as marked by the presence ofautoantibodies. As such, type 1 diabetes has already started. Blood sugar levels are normal and there are no symptoms.
Stage 2
Autoantibodies are present, and early changes in blood sugar levels begin. Yet, there are still no symptoms.
Stage 3
Blood sugar levels rise further causing the appearance of symptoms, necessitating the start of exogenous insulin therapy.
About ‘It’s in your hands’
‘It’s in Your Hands’ is a European awareness campaign supported by the EDENT1FI project. We help make early detection of type 1 diabetes visible and understandable, empowering families to take action for their children’s health.
Our partners
