NEWS

Novo Nordisk and UNICEF have announced an extension to their long-term partnership aiming to prevent global childhood obesity, which is now deemed a public health crisis affecting millions of children worldwide.

It is expected that, over the next three years, Novo Nordisk will commit $8m to scale and accelerate efforts ‘to create healthier environments for children through policy implementation and innovations that enable children to eat well, play and be physically active,’ according to Novo Nordisk’s press release. The partnership aims to impact over ten million children and is now focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean, while also expanding to East Asia and the Pacific region, working in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Indonesia.

Since its launch in 2019, this partnership is thought to have positively impacted at least 2.6 million children and caregivers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Katrine DiBona, corporate vice president for Global Public Affairs and Sustainability at Novo Nordisk, commented: “Childhood obesity prevention is critical as the current trajectory for obesity is unsustainable, placing increased pressure on countries across the world. UNICEF and Novo Nordisk believe that preventing childhood obesity is a shared societal responsibility that requires systemic change. With the expansion of our partnership, we are excited to continue our work to build healthy environments that enable and empower children to thrive.”