The International Dialogue on Sustainable Financing for NCDs and Mental Health is a high-level technical meeting which explores how countries can take the lead in financing NCDs and mental health.

Organised  by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, the meeting is the second instalment of a series started in 2018 focussing on the status of NCD financing. It marks a key moment for leaders to move forward the financing solutions and policy agendas ahead of the fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025. 

This week we also mark the milestone of four months to the Global Week for Action on NCDs which will run 15-22 October and coincide with the Global NCD Alliance Forum in Kigali, Rwanda (20-22 October). Under the banner of Time to lead, the campaign is calling on leaders worldwide to step forward and champion efforts to reduce the impact of NCDs on communities and countries.

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Four Months to Go: Countdown to the NCDA Forum and Global Week for Action 2024

Investing in NCD prevention and treatment is urgent and imperative, with huge benefits across various health and development agendas. 

NCD Alliance Policy and Advocacy Director, Alison Cox, who is attending the Financing Dialogue in Washington, said: 

"According to the 2022 Lancet NCD Countdown 2030, implementing a comprehensive package of 21 NCD prevention and treatment interventions would require an additional $140 billion in new spending over 2023-2030. This investment is projected to avert 39 million deaths and generate a net economic benefit of $2.7 trillion – a benefit that outweighs costs by 19 to one.”

Effective solutions to fund the NCD response are crucial for global health and development. These include domestic resource mobilization with increased health spending and fiscal policies, international development financing, private and philanthropic contributions, and the establishment of agreed targets.

NCDs represent far more than a health issue – they are a poverty, equity, human rights, and sustainable development issue, disproportionately burdening the poorest and most vulnerable populations with disease, disability, and death.

To support advocacy for effective NCD financing solutions, a range of resources including summaries, case studies and policy briefs have been made available. 

  1. Official Development Assistance for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Western Pacific – Everybody's Business 
  2. UN Health4Life Fund - Everybody's Business 
  3. The Philippines national NCD investment  - Everybody's Business

Governments can reap substantial economic rewards, in both the short- and long-run, by taking bold action on NCDs and thus ensuring the fiscal sustainability of their health systems. This requires a view of health as an investment not a cost, and one that requires long-term thinking.

Join us as we remind global leaders that now is the time to lead on NCDs.