Lilly Foundation: Bolstering a Country-Led Approach to Addressing Childhood Non-communicable Diseases

Supporter since 2024

In September 2024, Eli Lilly and Company Foundation (Lilly Foundation) announced support for the United States Fund for UNICEF (UNICEF USA), to combat non-communicable diseases in low and middle-income countries through UNICEF USA’s efforts related to supporting the Health4Life Fund (H4LF). Lilly Foundation is a separate tax-exempt, private foundation established in 1968 and supported by donations from Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly), which supports philanthropic programs across health, equity, and education, and extends Lilly’s reach and impact in a charitable manner. Among its focus areas and target groups, this initiative works to minimize the harm of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for millions of children, families and communities in resource-limited communities in low- and middle-income countries. The funds will support the initiatives work to better prevent, detect and treat NCDs through a unique funding mechanism that encourages a country-led approach to action.

The Global Toll of NCDs

NCDs in children and adolescents include asthma, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and chronic respiratory diseases. Globally, NCDs affect more than 2.1 billion children and adolescents under age 20. Tragically, roughly 1 million people under age 20 die from treatable NCDs each year.

The risks of developing NCDs may begin as early as pregnancy and can be exacerbated in childhood and adolescence by behaviors like poor diet, excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco use and inadequate physical activity.

Once developed, an NCD can require long-term or lifelong care — often unavailable or unaffordable in low-and middle-income countries. To curb the global rise of NCDs, women and children living in these countries need increased health interventions before, during and after pregnancy and throughout childhood and adolescence, requiring a significant public and private sector response.

Catalyzing Country-led Action to Better Prevent, Detect and Treat NCDs

HFLF is unique for being the only UN-wide Trust Fund devoted to NCDs and even more remarkable for providing needs-driven seed funding and technical support based on country demand. In disbursing grants, H4LF considers the specific pain points, resources and capacity of each requesting country. Countries must prioritize their needs and present a multi-sector response that draws on coordinated action across multiple stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, relevant private sector entities and civil society.

“This Lilly Foundation grant to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF builds on our support of organizations that address inequities in social determinants of health”, said Cynthia Cardona, President of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation (Lilly Foundation). “Multisectoral actions allow stakeholders around the world to contribute to improving access to care for everyone who needs it. We are proud to support the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in this innovative initiative tackling non-communicable diseases in resources-limited communities in low-and middle-income countries”. 

By helping countries develop and scale their NCD responses according to their unique demands and needs, H4LF funding contributes to overall capacity-building and health system strengthening at the local and national levels. UNICEF USA, and H4LF, a unique United Nations multi-partner trust fund, are committed to advancing equitable health outcomes in communities all over the world.