Abbott’s ‘Future Well’ kids program launches in India

New Delhi: Global healthcare company Abbott launched its Future Well^™ Kids program in India, supported by the company’s philanthropic foundation, the Abbott Fund. This program is designed to educate and inspire middle school students (10-13 years old) to learn about the causes of chronic conditions like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and to adopt healthier habits.

In India, the first phase of the program has been launched across five schools from under-resourced communities in Mumbai. Abbott employees are volunteering to deliver physical health, nutrition and healthy lifestyles curricula to educate kids and support teachers in these schools.

The Abbott Fund partnered with Discovery Education, the global leader in standards aligned digital curriculum, to design the course content. It offers kids practical, interactive sessions that can help them to make informed decisions and take charge of their health. They are also encouraged to recognize health myths and establish fitness goals.

Deepshikha Mukerji, regional HR director for Abbott in India, said, “As we address the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases in India, providing equitable access to vital health information to children is important. This is why Abbott created the Future Well^™ Kids program. This initiative aims to educate and inspire students to make smart health-conscious decisions for a better tomorrow.”

In India, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes account for roughly 63% of mortality and are rising in prevalence. These conditions share common behavioral risk factors, including unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and excess use of tobacco and alcohol.

Many behaviors that lead to NCDs often start in childhood – globally, 81% of adolescents don’t get enough physical activity. A 2016 study conducted by the World Health Organization showed that nearly 74% of adolescents in India got “insufficient physical activity.” An inactive lifestyle increases the chances of developing diabetes, heart disease and mental health problems.

It is important to teach children about behaviors that are the foundation of their health and wellbeing. The Future Well Kids program brings these lessons to the classroom, covering good nutrition, fitness and healthy habits, in addition to information about NCDs.

The program aims to inspire students to take simple steps to prevent chronic diseases and adopt healthy habits that last a lifetime. Through interactive activities, the students learn about good nutrition and physical fitness, and why these behaviors are so important to their health and wellbeing. And because developing healthy habits requires action, the program focuses on inspiring students to take charge of their health by making simple changes in their own lives – such as creating nutritious meal plans, setting fitness goals, and learning how to differentiate between sound nutrition advice and online health fads.

With the launch in India, Abbott and the Abbott Fund’s Future Well Kids program is now active at schools in six countries, including Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, U.K. and U.S. Since 2019, the program has reached nearly 5,500 students at partner schools. Abbott also integrated the Future Well^™  Kids curriculum into its Real Madrid Foundation partnership, delivering more than 35,000 hours of education to more than 10,000 children in 10 countries.