Eli Lilly delivers $50M boost to UNICEF’s pediatric health push

Eli Lilly has made a six-year, $50 million commitment to UNICEF USA to support efforts to improve the prevention, detection and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). UNICEF is the United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children. The nonprofit UNICEF USA supports the agency through fundraising, advocacy and education, including by partnering with American corporations to serve vulnerable children. Lilly committed $14.4 million to UNICEF USA in 2022 and donated a further $6.5 million in 2024. The latest commitment significantly increases Lilly’s contributions. Having donated $20.9 million over roughly the past five years, Lilly plans to hand UNICEF USA $50 million over the next six years to support the expansion of activities funded by its contributions. Lilly initially supported UNICEF’s activities in Bangladesh, Malawi, Nepal, the Philippines and Zimbabwe. The subsequent $6.5 million commitment equipped UNICEF to help children and youth at risk of NCDs living in resource-limited settings in India. The Lilly-funded work has reached nearly 16 million children and caregivers, the company said. UNICEF plans to use Lilly’s latest commitment to reach 30 million young people and caregivers in 21 low- and middle-income countries. The agency wants to help the countries’ primary healthcare systems manage NCDs such as diabetes, congenital heart disease, sickle cell disease and respiratory illness in children and adolescents. Prevention, care and support for children living with overweight and obesity is another focus. By helping children with overweight and obesity, key therapeutic areas for Lilly, UNICEF aims to reduce long-term health risks for children. Providing access to early detection, care and long-term support could address a major cause of deaths. In 2021, 18 million people died from an NCD before turning 70, the World Health Organization said, and 82% of the premature deaths happened in low- and middle-income countries. Children exposed to risk factors such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and tobacco smoke can develop NCDs later in life. Lilly’s increased support for UNICEF comes 10 months after U.S. lawmakers voted to rescind $142 million in funding for the agency. Facing financial pressures, UNICEF is working to cut costs by $609 million from 2026 to 2029, including by relocating about 70% of staff at its headquarters in New York and Geneva to cheaper locations.