Addressing Unmet Needs in the Management of Diabetes in Asia and Enhancing Diabetes Care Through the Use of Digital Technology:

Background. Asia faces a growing diabetes burden compounded by low awareness, limited access, affordability concerns, and heterogeneous care practices. These challenges hinder consistent management across the region. Methodology. An expert panel representing India, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Australia, and Austria reviewed regional barriers, compared national practices, and proposed feasible strategies for improvement. Results. Key gaps included healthcare access, affordability, limited workforce capacity, poor adherence to guidelines, cultural influences, and underuse of digital tools. Experts examined region-specific approaches, highlighting effective models from Singapore, India, Japan, the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and South Korea. Discussion. Synthesized insights yielded policy-oriented and practical recommendations, focusing on insurance expansion, digital and AI-enabled care, workforce strengthening, and community-based programs to enhance diabetes care delivery. Conclusion. Tailored, region-specific, and technology-enabled strategies addressing systemic and economic barriers are vital to strengthen diabetes management across Asia.