November 14 was World Diabetes Day and New York City faces a sobering reality: over 800,000 adults, 11.3% of the population, live with diabetes. The burden is not shared equally. The latest NYC Health Department Epi Data Brief report revealed deep racial, economic, and geographic disparities in diabetes prevalence, management, and outcomes.

Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander New Yorkers experience diabetes at nearly double the rate of white residents. Those living in very high poverty neighborhoods face a 14.6% prevalence rate—almost twice that of low-poverty areas. And these inequities extend to blood sugar control, where 26% of adults 18-44 years of age with diabetes have dangerously high A1C levels.

The consequences are severe. In 2022 alone, NYC saw over 3,100 diabetes-related amputations, disproportionately affecting Black and Latino men in underserved neighborhoods, including East Harlem, East New York, and Southwest Queens.

To address these inequities, NYC launched the Citywide Diabetes Reduction Plan, which highlights the importance of expanding access to education, peer support, and community-based care. The initiative aligns with the Health Department’s goal to reduce diabetes rates by 2030.

World Diabetes Day is a call to action. This year’s theme was ‘Diabetes and well-being’ with a focus on ‘Diabetes and the workplace’, which resonates deeply in NYC, where systemic inequities shape the health outcomes of working age New Yorkers. Addressing these disparities requires sustained investment, policy reform, and community empowerment to ensure every New Yorker has the opportunity to live a healthy life.

The NYC Health Department and NYC REACH is working to increase access to evidence-based diabetes prevention and management interventions in neighborhoods of high diabetes prevalence to address inequities. These programs include the Diabetes Self-Management Program and the National Diabetes Prevention Program. For information about these programs, contact our Clinical Community Program Linkages Team at EBI_referrals@health.nyc.gov.