The Bermuda Diabetes Association says that measurable health outcomes were drawn from its programmes last year to address the prevalence of the disease on the island.

In its 2025 Annual Report, the charity said it had upped the ante on expanded access to care.

Last year, it screened 423 individuals through its community health initiatives, helping to identify risk factors and support earlier intervention for diabetes and related complications.

The charity said diabetes affects approximately one in eight adults locally, while the same number is estimated to be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Among significant outcomes, the association said, 87 per cent of its Nutrition Therapy programme participants improved key health markers.

It said 98 per cent of its Know Your Medicine programme participants boosted their understanding of their medications.

In addition, 59 per cent of returning clients improved their blood sugar level. The same was true for 100 per cent of new insulin pump users.

The charity said early detection efforts also caught previously unknown health risks.

Screenings for chronic kidney disease, or CKD as it is commonly called, found 34 per cent of participants to be at risk, while eye conditions were detected in 44 per cent of those screened through the charity’s retinopathy screening programme.

CKD is a growing global challenge, increasing in prevalence by 5 per cent annually, the charity said. In Bermuda, approximately 7 per cent of people are diagnosed in the early stages. The association said early diagnosis and management save kidneys and reduces the need for dialysis and a kidney transplant.

When diagnosed early, medication along with lifestyle changes can significantly improve kidney health.

The charity said access to affordable care remained a major priority throughout 2025.

Since 2020, it said savings of $3.5 million in dispensing fees have been delivered through the association’s Community Pharmacy, a social enterprise established by the charity to improve access to affordable medication across the community.

Over the same period, the charity said, more than 6,000 prescriptions were filled free of charge, alongside $560,000 in medication support provided through its Client Assistance Programme.

Lori Rockhead, the association’s executive director, said the charity “measures success” by outcomes.

She said: “Everything we do is centred around one goal — reducing the impact of diabetes in Bermuda and helping people live healthier, longer lives.

“Prevention is one of the most powerful tools we have. From community screenings and healthy-cooking classes to medication reviews and early detection of diabetes-related complications, our focus is on making support more accessible, practical and proactive.

“When people have access to the right care and education early, outcomes improve and the need for emergency care and hospital admission is reduced.”