At today's UN Multi-Stakeholder Hearing on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, Lucía Feito Allonca, a powerful advocate and person living with type 1 diabetes, delivered a moving intervention calling for meaningful engagement of people living with NCDs in the decisions that shape their lives.
Speaking on behalf of millions worldwide, Lucía reminded Member States that real progress depends on listening to lived experience and placing people at the centre of care. “We don’t want to be included at the last minute or just as a formality,” she said.
“We want to be part of the process from the beginning—helping shape policies, design services, and evaluate results.”
Her statement echoed the priorities of The Call to Lead on NCDs, with a sharp challenge to governments:
“Are you ready to share power, or just share space? Because nothing about us should ever be decided without us.”
Lucía’s remarks underscored a growing demand across civil society for action, not words—calling for investment in meaningful participation, access to essential health services, and accountability for promises already made.
As momentum builds ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September, advocates like Lucía are leading the way, ensuring that those most affected are also at the heart of global health solutions.
Lucia's Full Statement:
Dear colleagues, friends, and decision-makers,
My name is Lucía, and I have lived with type 1 diabetes for over 30 years. Today, I speak not only for myself but for millions of people living with NCDs and mental health conditions worldwide.
We align with The Call to Lead on NCDs, because we believe that lasting change begins with those who live these realities every day.
If we truly want to build stronger health systems and achieve Universal Health Coverage, we must listen to those who live with these conditions every day.
That means putting people at the centre of care—people-centred care.
People-centred care means seeing the whole person, not just the disease.
It means treating people with dignity, listening to their needs, and ensuring they are part of the decisions that affect their lives.
But for this to happen, meaningful engagement is essential.
We don’t want to be included at the last minute or just as a formality.
We want to be part of the process from the beginning—helping shape policies, design services, and evaluate results. Because we are the experts in living with these conditions.
To make this real, we ask you to:
- Recognise our right to be involved in all decisions about NCDs and mental health.
- Remove the barriers that keep people like me out—whether it's lack of access, stigma, or underfunding.
- Formalise and incentivize meaningful engagement, so that everyone, especially the most marginalized, can take part.
- Invest in our engagement—with training, funding, and real leadership roles for people with lived experience.
One critical issue that must be addressed is affordable access to healthcare and supplies. For many people living with NCDs, access to the medications, devices, and supplies they need is not just a challenge; it is often out of reach.
No one should ever have to choose between paying for their medication and meeting their basic needs.
Universal Health Coverage should ensure that everyone has access to essential health services, without financial hardship.
This includes affordable, consistent access to the supplies and treatments that are essential to managing our health and living fulfilling lives.
As we stand in these polarized and uncertain times, it is crucial that we remember the fundamental truth: health and life are human rights.
Now more than ever, we must act with urgency to ensure that everyone, especially those living with chronic conditions, is not left behind.
The decisions we make today will shape the future of global health.
If we want health for all, we need voices from all.
If we want systems that work, we must build them together.
So, my question to all of you is:
Are you ready to share power, or just share space?
Because nothing about us should ever be decided without us.
Thank you.
Photo caption: Lucía Feito Allonca holding a Time to Lead banner, with representatives of the Government of Spain.