As part of the Global Week for Action on NCDs 2026, NCD Alliance and the University of Geneva NCD Policy Lab are launching Advancing Access: A practical advocacy toolkit for improving access to NCD medicines, diagnostics and medical devices.
Millions of people living with NCDs still struggle to access the quality-assured medicines, diagnostics and medical devices they need to manage their conditions. This has been recognised in the 2025 Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health, which sets a specific target to see affordable essential medicines and technologies in 80% of primary healthcare facilities by 2030.
Importantly, the Declaration shifts toward actionable solutions, highlighting the fact that many access barriers are political and systemic – they are not technical inevitabilities.
The Advancing Access advocacy toolkit provides practical tools to help turn commitments on access into action and hold governments accountable for delivering affordable, reliable access to essential NCD medicines and medical devices. It is designed to help advocates better understand why access problems occur in their country and identify specific, evidence-based advocacy asks for ministries of health, ministries of finance and other relevant actors. It guides advocates through five key steps in the pharmaceutical value chain – selection, regulation, forecasting, procurement and pricing – to identify barriers, gather evidence and develop context-specific advocacy strategies. No previous experience with the technical and operational aspects of access are required.
The toolkit is intended for national, regional and global NCD and health advocates, as well as ‘access allies’, such as health professionals, who want to save and improve lives by addressing access barriers.