Winner
Every Moment Matters - Accelerating Newborn Screening for SMA
by M+F Health for Novartis UK
Summary of work
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the UK’s leading genetic cause of infant mortality, yet newborn screening, essential for preventing irreversible harm, remains absent from the national programme. In 2023, Novartis launched Every Moment Matters, a multi‑year Government Affairs and Communications campaign to accelerate adoption of UK‑wide screening by driving urgency, aligning stakeholders, and strengthening political accountability.
The programme combined evidence, public opinion and compelling human stories to build an unignorable case for change. Through parliamentary engagement, the campaign elevated SMA from a low‑visibility issue to a pressing health policy priority. Five high‑profile events, targeted briefings and consistent advocacy established cross‑party champions and generated a 363% rise in parliamentary mentions. Public demand was quantified through a survey of 2,000 UK parents, reinforcing ethical and economic rationale for early diagnosis.
The campaign delivered unprecedented progress. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) introduced a more transparent, accelerated review, while Scotland committed to a two‑year screening pilot for all newborns, creating constructive pressure for UK‑wide roll-out. National and policymaker‑aligned media further amplified momentum, delivering ~45 million opportunities to see.
By combining evidence, collaboration and strategic advocacy, Every Moment Matters has helped to reshape the landscape and bring the UK closer to nationwide screening.
Judges’ comments
‘Every Moment Matters - Accelerating Newborn Screening for SMA’ was a significant programme of activity with strong engagement. It had extremely positive and clear outcomes, especially in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It had a tangible policy change and was exceedingly powerful.
