Janina AKA Miss Diabetes is a New Zealand–based comic artist and visual storyteller working at the intersection of comics, health communication, and global health.

Her comics have been featured in Bernie Sanders political campaign, as well as Brut America, and The Mighty. She was on BBC “The Conversation” to talk about her artwork and comics she created about life with type 1 diabetes.

She works extensively with the World Health Organization on global diabetes and noncommunicable disease campaigns, producing comics and animated visuals that support public health communication, advocacy, and education worldwide.

She has created comics for Diatribe’s campaign “A Spoonful of Laughter”, a movement that uses comedy to educate about diabetes, push back against stereotypes and stigma, and encourage more curiosity and less judgment. Her comics for this campaign garnered 2.5 million views, and over 150k likes on social media.

In collaboration with Professor Neal Curtis, University of Auckland Centre for Brain Research and Brain Tumour Support NZ, she created 4 comics: “Processing your tissue sample in a lab”, “What are brain tumours?”, “Mum’s acting a bit strange!”, and Kate’s story of being diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma.

She illustrated her first children’s book “It Belongs To The World”, about the co-discoverer of insulin, Frederick Banting, written by Lisa Katzenberger, published by Harper Collins. It was named as a Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025.

She is a Lancet Commissioner for Type 1 Diabetes and Endocrinology for 2025-2027, using her lived experience, graphic medicine and health communication skills to contribute to the article.

Check out more of Janina’s work at her website.