National Children's Day: Novo Nordisk Strengthens Collaboration to Prevent Obesity and Improve Access to Diabetes Care

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - Every child has the right to grow healthy and achieve the best future. On the momentum of this year's National Children's Day, the joint commitment to strengthen children's health is becoming increasingly important, especially in the midst of increasing prevalence of obesity and the need for optimal access to treatment for children with type 1 diabetes.

Data from the Indonesian Health Survey (SKI) 2023 shows that almost 1 in 5 children aged 5-12 years are overweight or obese. Not only that, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that 1 in 3 people in Indonesia who have type 1 diabetes in Indonesia are children and adolescents.

Therefore, strengthening early prevention efforts and a quality health service ecosystem are key to improving child health, especially to overcome obesity and type 1 diabetes.

For almost 30 years in Indonesia, Novo Nordisk, a global health company from Denmark that focuses on obesity and diabetes management, continues to collaborate with the government, medical organizations, and various stakeholders to support the management of obesity and diabetes. In the momentum of National Children's Day (23 July), Novo Nordisk reiterated its commitment to strengthening children's health through early obesity prevention and strengthening care services for children with type 1 diabetes.

"The future of Indonesia is determined by the quality of the health of its young generation. Therefore, all efforts and investments to improve child health must begin as early as possible, starting from creating an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle to prevent overweight and obesity, to ensuring that every child living with type 1 diabetes has access to proper diagnosis, treatment, and support. We are committed to continuing to synergize with various stakeholders to realize this goal," said Banarsono Trimandojo, Associate Director Market Access and Public Affairs Novo Nordisk Indonesia, Thursday, July 23.

Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Children by Encouraging a Healthier Environment

In an effort to prevent obesity from an early age, Novo Nordisk together with UNICEF has been running a global partnership since 2019 to create a healthier food environment, diet, and school environment for children. In Indonesia, this collaboration is realized through three main pillars, namely strengthening scientific evidence (evidence generation), policy advocacy, and school-based intervention programs.

First, through the pillar of strengthening scientific evidence, this partnership produces various studies as a basis for data-based policy formulation. One of them is a study on the practice of marketing food and beverages through social media to children which found that 85% of food and beverage brands promote at least one product that is not suitable for marketing to children.

In addition, a survey was also conducted regarding the nutritional status of elementary school children in Central Java as a basis for the preparation of a school-based nutrition program. The findings were then strengthened through a "Cost of Inaction" study conducted jointly with the University of Lausanne, UNICEF Indonesia, and the Indonesian Ministry of Health. The study estimates that without effective policy interventions, overweight and obesity in children can cause economic losses of up to 294 billion US dollars or the equivalent of Rp. 4,980 trillion throughout the lifetime of the affected children.

Second, through the policy advocacy pillar, various scientific findings from this partnership also serve as a basis for encouraging policies that support the prevention of obesity in Indonesia. One of them is the implementation of the Nutri-Level policy, namely a nutrition labeling system on the front of ready-to-eat food packaging which is expected to help people make healthier food choices, as well as encourage the prevention of obesity and non-communicable diseases early. This policy is regulated in the Decree of the Minister of Health Number HK.01.07/Menkes/301/2026.

Third, through the school-based intervention program pillar, Novo Nordisk and UNICEF implement various programs to build healthy living habits in children, ranging from nutritional education, promotion of physical activity, provision of healthier food options in school canteens, development of school gardens, to capacity building for health workers in primary services. The school-based intervention program "Nutritious Adventure" has provided direct benefits to more than 2,000 children.

Through integration with the School/Madrasah Health Business (UKS/M) program, its reach has now been expanded to around 50,000 children in nine provinces, so that more and more Indonesian children are able to obtain an environment that supports healthy growth and development.

Ensuring Children Living with Type 1 Diabetes Receive Safe and Quality Care

Children with type 1 diabetes require lifelong care through insulin therapy, regular blood glucose monitoring, and continuous health service support so that children can grow and develop optimally. To answer this need, Novo Nordisk presents the Changing Diabetes® in Children (CDiC) program, a public-private partnership established in 2009 that aims to help provide diabetes care for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes living in low- and middle-income countries.

In Indonesia, CDiC has been present since 2021 and is carried out through collaboration between Novo Nordisk Indonesia, the Indonesian Ministry of Health, and the Indonesian Pediatric Doctors Association (IDAI). This partnership seeks to strengthen type 1 diabetes services for children through four main pillars, namely patient education, strengthening the capacity of health workers, expanding access to diabetes and insulin services, and supporting diabetes monitoring.

First, through the patient education pillar, CDiC helps improve children's and families' understanding of type 1 diabetes management through educational sessions, development of learning materials, and the organization of "Diabetes Camp". Through these various initiatives, participants are equipped with practical knowledge and skills to manage diabetes in daily life, ranging from insulin use, dietary management, safe physical activity, blood sugar monitoring, to the introduction of signs of emergency conditions.

Since 2023, CDiC has held four Diabetes Camps in East Java, DKI Jakarta, Central Java, and South Sumatra. This activity presents a fun learning experience through educational sessions, outdoor games, sports, and group activities designed to build independence, confidence, and support for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. All activities are accompanied by pediatric endocrinologists, pediatricians, and diabetes educators (nurses and nutritionists) to ensure participants receive comprehensive support.

Second, through the pillar of strengthening the capacity of health workers, CDiC organizes basic and advanced training for doctors, nurses, and nutritionists. This initiative also works with the Ministry of Health in supporting the Diabetes Mellitus Service Waiver Program so that more health workers are able to provide comprehensive type 1 diabetes services.

Third, through the pillar of expanding access to services and insulin, CDiC supports the strengthening of 49 diabetes clinics with various educational materials and ensures the availability of insulin for diabetes patients. This is also strengthened by the development of a national registry of type 1 diabetes which since 2024 has been integrated with the SATU SEHAT platform, thus supporting better patient registration and management.

Fourth, through the support pillar for diabetes monitoring, CDiC helps children with type 1 diabetes who are affiliated with CDiC to obtain glucometers and blood sugar test strips so that blood sugar monitoring can be carried out routinely as an important part of disease management.

Prof. Dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan, Sp.A(K), Subsp. End., FAAP, FRCPI (Hon.), Project Leader CDiC Indonesia, emphasized that the biggest challenge in treating type 1 diabetes in children still lies in the delay in diagnosis due to low public awareness of the symptoms of the disease.

"Type 1 diabetes in children is still often late recognized because the symptoms are often misinterpreted as other diseases. In fact, early diagnosis and treatment are very important in determining the quality of life of children and helping prevent life-threatening complications. We appreciate Novo Nordisk Indonesia's commitment to supporting IDAI and the Ministry of Health through the CDiC program in strengthening the capacity of health workers, improving education for patients and families, and expanding access to insulin and children's diabetes services in Indonesia consistently. This collaboration ensures the achievement of our goal, namely No Child Should Die from Diabetes and more children with type 1 diabetes receive proper treatment early," said Prof. Aman.

Since its launch in 2021, the CDiC Indonesia program has reached 2,671 children with type 1 diabetes, trained more than 8,000 health workers, strengthened 49 diabetes clinics, and provided education to around 20,000 patients, families, and the community.

"The momentum of National Children's Day reminds us that investing in children's health is an investment for the future of the nation. We hope that more synergies will be built to create an environment that supports children to grow healthy and strengthen access to quality health services so that every Indonesian child has the same opportunity to grow, develop, and achieve their best future," concluded Banarsono.