Roadmap for Implementing Type 1 Diabetes Screening in Saudi Arabia: Experience from the VISION-T1D Program

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence in Saudi Arabia has increased nine-fold over the past decade, reaching 31.4 per 100,000 person-years, with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at clinical presentation in 40% to 77% of affected children. Evidence from global programs demonstrates that presymptomatic T1D screening of first-degree relatives achieves autoantibody positivity rates of 0.31% to 5.9%, eliminates DKA at T1D onset when combined with structured family education, and enables disease-modifying intervention with teplizumab at stage 2. Despite validated autoantibody-based technologies and the Saudi food and drug authority (SFDA) approval of teplizumab for stage 2 T1D, the uptake of presymptomatic screening in Saudi Arabia remains slow. This review outlines a culturally tailored implementation framework aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 health priorities, and an expanded framework for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region based on the experience from the VISION-T1D program.