HRH Prince Daniel's digital speech at Nordic conference on physical activity

Health is the most valuable thing there is.
But we cannot let health become a luxury.

Sweden is known around the world for its focus on equality. However, when it comes to health, much remains to be done.

Between the highly educated and the less educated, there is a six-year difference in life expectancy. Depending on where you grow up, the difference is even greater. Poor health is more likely to hit those that are already socially and economically disadvantaged. It also hits them harder.

I believe we can do much better than that. I believe that we have to.

All children growing up should have the same opportunities to live healthy and active lives. No matter what part of town they happen to live in – or what kind of social and economic status their parents happen to have. That is why the Crown Princess and I initiated Generation Pep.

Generation Pep is a non-profit organisation with the vision that all children and young people in Sweden should have the ability and desire to live an active and healthy life

We want to fight for improvement. We want to inform and to inspire. And in this work, we have chosen to partner with some of the leading scientists. NGOs and the business community. Because we believe that change is possible – if, and only if, we address these challenges together, as a whole community.

We need to bring political leadership, NGOs, academia and industry to the same table;

We want you and them to take the lead and make the right investments for the future.

And what I am asking you today is to invest in children’s health;

the most valuable thing there is, that shouldn’t be a luxury.

Thank you for this opportunity to address you at this Nordic conference on physical activity. I wish you the best of luck.

And now, I give the floor to Carolina Klüft at Generation Pep.