AXA partners with UNICEF to address childhood obesity

 

While everyone across the globe is focused on COVID-19 prevention, there is another worldwide health concern that poses a serious threat to the well-being of many children. Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century, affecting at least 340 million children and teens globally.

 

AXA, one of the leading global insurance providers, has partnered with UNICEF to promote a healthy food environment and lifestyle among pregnant women and caregivers of children 0-5 years old for sustained health, nutrition, and overall well-being.

 

"We must help children realize the importance of taking care of themselves, especially now that we are facing a pandemic. A healthy and well-conditioned body will be their first line of defense against COVID-19 and other illnesses. Through this partnership with UNICEF, we hope to make a positive impact on these children's lives by guiding them and their families to living healthier lives," said Rahul Hora, president and CEO of AXA Philippines.

 

The “Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Children” program, borne from a three-year partnership between AXA and UNICEF which began in 2019, aims to increase knowledge, practices, and demand for healthier diets and lifestyles, improve service delivery systems for healthy food environments, create supportive policies, and generate evidence for action.

 

“Malnutrition is a violation of a child’s right to survival and development – and its consequences often remain invisible until it’s too late. Malnutrition includes both undernutrition and overnutrition and is caused by a combination of factors: poor diets that are undiversified and lack appropriate nutrients for growth, frequent infections or disease, poor care and feeding practices, inadequate health services, poor water and sanitation and broken food systems. We hope that this partnership with AXA will help improve the diets and food habits of Filipino children,” Alice Nkoroi, UNICEF Philippines Nutrition Manager says.

 

The AXA-UNICEF campaign is centered on two core commitments: paying attention to the youngest children and emphasizing the key role caregivers play in children’s health. AXA and UNICEF aim to support 177,000 Filipino children and their mothers and caregivers by highlighting healthier food options and habits.

 

Among the campaign's key actions in the Philippines is advocating for an environment conducive for accessing and maintaining healthy food choices, which involves working with local government authorities and national government agencies, such as the Department of Health, to help create demand for healthier food options.

 

The campaign also promotes breastfeeding, which is extremely beneficial for a child's health and development. AXA Philippines will support integrated interventions on healthy diets, Maternal Nutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding that includes Early Child Care and Development (ECCD), and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH).

                                       

For more information on AXA Philippines, visit www.axa.com.ph.