Novo Nordisk, UNICEF Expand Partnership To Combat Childhood Obesity

Novo Nordisk and UNICEF have expanded their partnership to help prevent childhood overweight and obesity, the Danish pharmaceutical company said on Tuesday.

The move follows UNICEF’s 2025 Child Nutrition Report, which found that childhood obesity had overtaken underweight for the first time on record.

Novo Nordisk will provide an additional $18 million between 2026 and 2030 to support prevention programmes in Mexico, Colombia, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Egypt and Kenya, Senior Vice President Elin Jäger told Reuters.

The initiatives will include measures such as nutrition and physical activity counselling, along with basic mental health screening and support, the company said.

The four-year programme will run from 2027 to 2030, with funding beginning in 2026. It aims to reach more than 80 million children across the participating countries.

Jäger said the partnership expansion is part of Novo Nordisk’s updated sustainability strategy, which is scheduled to be launched next week.