Atlanta, Georgia (Feb. 29, 2024) – The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is pleased to announce its commitment to the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities, as part of commitments valued at $1.7 billion to address hunger and end diet-related disease in the U.S. NACDD has joined partners such as the NFL Alumni Association, the Harlem Globetrotters, the cities of Cleveland and Houston and 141 other stakeholders in this important initiative to implement a “whole-of-government approach” to build healthier communities.  

“We are proud to support the Biden Administration’s goal to end hunger and increase healthy eating by 2030, so fewer Americans experience diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension,” said NACDD’s Chief Executive Officer John W. Robitscher. “Our commitment also builds and leverages innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors, including major sports leagues, players associations, ProVention Health Foundation, and the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition to boost physical activity and increase nutrition programming across the country.” 

 Last fall, NACDD worked to convene and host a Thought Leader Discussion in Washington, DC in partnership with the White House Office of Public Engagement to discuss how public health organizations, their partners, and other organizations can participate in the White House Challenge. According to the USDA, more than 34 million people in the U.S., including nine million children, are food insecure. The impact of food and nutrition insecurity and diet-related diseases carry significant individual and societal costs including, but not limited to, poor overall health, decreased academic achievement, reduced workforce productivity, and increased healthcare costs. 

 For this week’s White House event, NACDD leaders joined dignitaries such as Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, White House Office of Public Engagement Director Stephen Benjamin, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Assistant HHS Secretary of Health Admiral Rachel L. Levine, and others. We are so excited to be a partner in this groundbreaking initiative to end hunger and build healthy, resilient communities.  

 For additional info, view the White House fact sheet at https://bit.ly/49xhprq.