Eli Lilly and Company has announced a four-year, $14.1 million commitment to UNICEF to help improve health outcomes for 10 million children and adolescents living with chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The funding will support UNICEF’s work in Bangladesh, Malawi, Nepal, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe, which were selected with regard to their geographic diversity and the potential to strengthen country-level health systems and models that provide care and support for children and adolescents with chronic conditions. Interventions in those countries will include strengthening data and health information systems for NCDs; establishing and strengthening prevention, care, and treatment of NCDs within primary healthcare and referral facilities; and bolstering the capacity of service providers to screen, manage, and treat NCDs. 

“UNICEF’s relentless work to reach disadvantaged children, combined with Lilly’s experience and deep commitment to bettering people’s lives and society, serve as the foundation of this collaborative effort,” said Lilly chair and CEO David A. Ricks. “This critical, lifesaving work by UNICEF is aligned to the Lilly 30x30 initiative to provide improved access to quality health care for 30 million people in resource-limited settings, annually, by 2030.” 

(Photo Credit: Getty Images/Drazen Zigic)