Problem
Every year, more than 36 million people die worldwide due to NCDs. The burden continues to rise in low and lower middle-income countries where the poorest are often the most vulnerable. Sadly, the majority of NCD deaths are premature and preventable. While the problem is global, in the Pacific Islands it is more pronounced, with over 70% of deaths caused by NCDs. This has led Pacific Governments to declare an ‘NCD Crisis’ in the region.
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Solution
Beyond the Stars combines storytelling and emerging technology
with research, regional health policies and school curriculum to inspire
long-term behaviour change in children. It is an innovative health
intervention that addresses the behavioural risk factors associated with
non-communicable diseases through storytelling and technology, and by doing
so aim to reduce the levels of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart
disease present in the regional population.
Target Beneficiaries
The millions of people around the world, and hundreds of
thousands of Pacific Islanders that are impacted by NCDs which impose
significant health burdens, and large but often preventable costs on
individuals, households, communities and overstretched government budgets.
Mission and Vision
Short term: Impact the health and wellbeing of over 800,000
people - children and their families - over the next couple of years.
Long term: Prevent unnecessary death, health burden and emotional turmoil
to families by empowering them with the knowledge and skills to make
life-altering choices as they become heroes of their own future.
Innovation Description
Beyond the Stars is a world-first health intervention that
combines storytelling, emerging technology, health research, regional policy
and school curriculum to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through
behaviour change.
Every year, more than 36 million people die from NCDs. Sadly, the majority
of these deaths are premature and preventable. Global leaders and Pacific
Governments are calling this the ‘NCD Crisis’. The continued increase in NCD
rates year-on-year suggests that current health interventions are ineffective
at producing long-term impact.
Beyond the Stars however aims to tackle NCDs through something
different.
Its newfound approach combines learnings and data from nutritionists,
global reports, regional eating guidelines, food composition tables and more,
into a self-contained interactive technology-driven experience that inspires
children to adopt healthy living habits, self-educate on subjects around
health, nutrition and culture, and consider the impact their actions have on
their environment. This immersive narrative empowers children with the
knowledge and skills to make life-altering choices as they become heroes of
their own future.
The name ‘Beyond the Stars’ was inspired by Pacific Islanders who use the
stars in the sky to find their way home; similarly, it was our goal to create
a program that inspires future generations to find their way back to what
matters most.
Beyond the Stars is supported by both the Fijian and Australian
Government.
Competitive Advantage
If stories are used to make people buy products or believe in
brands, then why can’t they be used to solve some of the world’s most complex
challenges like NCDs? This is the mandate that we at S1T2 have given
ourselves.
S1T2 stands for Story 1st, Technology 2nd. We are a creative technology
company founded on the belief that technology can enrich the way we tell
stories.
Driven by a culture of exploration, the team at S1T2 comprises a group of
passionate multidisciplinary experts currently working across an exotic list
of technologies - from interactive installations to real-time visualisations,
web applications to virtual and augmented realities. This unique makeup has
allowed S1T2 to foster the kind of cognitive diversity required to develop
revolutionary approaches to complex challenges around the world.
