Eli Lilly and UNICEF USA have announced a collaboration aiming to improve non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and care for children, reaching over 30 million young people and caregivers across 21 low- and middle-income countries.
Marking its 150th anniversary, Lilly is committing $50m to UNICEF USA, supporting UNICEF’s efforts to strengthen primary healthcare systems to better prevent, detect and manage NCDs such as diabetes, congenital heart disease, sickle cell disease and respiratory illness in children and adolescents. It will also strengthen prevention, care and support for children living with overweight and obesity, helping reduce long-term health risks for children, their families and communities.
UNICEF will support governments to make prevention and care part of routine health services, expanding access to quality care in communities, training and supporting health workers and improving early diagnosis and long-term care for children and adolescents. This approach will help countries deliver more coordinated, sustainable care, ultimately expanding access closer to home and supporting children throughout their lives.
This six-year commitment (2026-2032) builds on a UNICEF model that has evolved from pilot programmes into a sustainable, multicountry approach embedded within national health systems.
Kitty van der Heijden, Deputy Executive Director, Partnerships at UNICEF, said: “Millions of children are deprived of the building blocks necessary for lifelong health due to non-communicable disease risk factors established early in life. Our collaboration with Lilly is leading the way to ensure children get a healthy future in life and demonstrates the impact of the private sector to drive results at scale.”
NCDs are rising rapidly among children and adolescents worldwide, with the greatest impact in low- and middle-income countries, which account for 82% of premature deaths linked to these conditions.
Weak health systems and limited access to nutritious food and safe environments make it harder for children to stay healthy and thrive. Without timely disease prevention and management, these conditions can lead to lifelong health challenges, yet access to early detection, care and long-term support remains limited.
Patrik Jonsson, Executive Vice President and President of Lilly International, said: “Every child, everywhere, deserves a healthy future. That begins with working to strengthen healthcare systems in resource-limited settings to halt the rise of NCDs.”