In developing countries, financial and human resources are limited despite serious needs and multiple health challenges. More than three-quarters of the people with diabetes worldwide live in developing countries. Between 2000 and 2025, the rise in the number of people with the condition in these countries will be around 170%. In the developing world, diabetes, like other chronic diseases, is often ignored in terms of healthcare priorities; the focus remains largely on immediate and acute care rather than on prevention. The challenges involved in providing education to enable people to self-manage their chronic condition exist at three levels: patients, healthcare providers, healthcare systems.