Novo Nordisk and UNICEF are expanding their partnership to strengthen efforts to prevent childhood overweight and obesity, as concerns grow over changing patterns of child nutrition worldwide.
The renewed collaboration follows UNICEF’s 2025 Child Nutrition Report, which found that childhood obesity had surpassed underweight among children for the first time on record. The shift highlights growing pressure on governments and health organisations to address unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and other factors contributing to childhood obesity.
The partnership, which began in 2019, focuses on creating healthier environments for children through better nutrition, supportive policies and opportunities for physical activity. Its programmes have already reached more than 2.6 million children and caregivers, particularly across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The expanded initiative will support efforts to generate evidence, strengthen national policies and scale up community-level interventions aimed at improving children’s access to nutritious and affordable food.
UNICEF and Novo Nordisk have also emphasised the need to address broader social and environmental factors rather than placing responsibility solely on individual families.
The initiative comes as childhood overweight and obesity continue to create long-term health and economic challenges, including increased risks of chronic diseases later in life.
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