The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation and its member associations. It is a multiple-stakeholder partnership that includes diabetes organizations and their members around the world and Official World Diabetes Day Partners. Each campaign is centred on a theme that is established by the IDF Executive Board and approved by the World Health Organization. This year sees the second half of a 24-month campaign focussing on diabetes in children and adolescents. The main campaign slogan is ‘Know the warning signs’. The key campaign messages are: ‘No child should die of diabetes’, ‘Diabetes is different for children’ and ‘Diabetes affects children of all ages’. Francine Kaufman and Phil Riley report.