In the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), NCDs are the leading cause of death, accounting for more than 2.8 million deaths every year — representing 66% of all deaths in the Region. Yet progress on key tracer targets tied to harmful industries continues to lag. Across the region, "not achieved" is the most common rating for indicators such as restrictions on alcohol advertising, trans-fat elimination policies, and marketing of foods and beverages to children. At the same time, NCDs remain chronically underfunded — out-of-pocket payments have financed around 40% of total health spending in the EMR, well above the global average, leaving an estimated 55.5 million people facing financial hardship and 7.7 million pushed into poverty, undermining the promise of UHC.

Health taxes are among the few policy levers that curb the drivers of NCDs while mobilizing sustainable domestic revenue: WHO's "3 by 35" initiative, launched in July 2025, urges countries to raise real prices on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by at least 50% by 2035, a measure it estimates could prevent 50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years and raise US$1 trillion for health over the next decade. Confronting commercial determinants and financing UHC are therefore two sides of the same fiscal and political argument.

The EM-NCDA Youth Network, launched on 22 September 2025 as a regional platform to connect, elevate, and organize young advocates across the EMR, is well positioned to carry this argument forward. Young people bring community insight, lived experience, and the ability to mobilize public pressure to counter industry interference and hold decision-makers accountable for financing commitments.

Convened during this year’s Global Week for Action on NCDs, this workshop will equip Network members to understand the commercial determinants of NCDs, make the evidence-based case for health taxes and progressive NCD financing, and translate the 2025 Political Declaration on NCDs into concrete, youth-led advocacy for the region.