Abbott and Sesame Workshop Team Up to Fight Chronic Disease Starting in the Cradle

At the Concordia Annual Summit, a global healthcare giant and the world's most famous children's media organization made the case that reversing the epidemic of chronic disease starts not in hospitals — but in living rooms, preschools, and community centers, with kids under five.

• Abbott and Sesame Workshop launch joint program across four countries to teach young children healthy eating, sleep, and exercise habits through free, multilingual resources and beloved Muppet characters
• Panelists warn childhood risk factors for chronic disease are "almost exploding across the globe" and urge governments, funders, and companies to invest in early intervention at scale
• Elmo takes the stage to model healthy habits live, leading a movement game with the Concordia audience

The basics: Hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are the leading causes of death worldwide — and mounting evidence shows their risk factors are taking hold earlier and earlier. At a Concordia Annual Summit panel on Sept. 22, Senior Vice President Melissa Broatz of Abbott and President and CEO Sherrie Weston of Sesame Workshop unveiled a partnership designed to intervene at the very beginning of a child's life, before unhealthy patterns become entrenched.