HALF THE WORLD'S POPULATION DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE - the time to LEAD is now!

The Global Week for Action on NCDs aims to slow the increasing burden of NCDs, thanks to the contributions of people everywhere. Actions can be big or small - the power of the Global Week for Action comes through collaboration across countries and sectors towards a common goal: reducing preventable death and illness and increasing health and equity around the world.

Each year, the Global Week for Action on NCDs raises awareness about NCDs while focusing on a specific theme. 2026 is the Time to lead! This theme has continued since 2024, aligning with the fourth High-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being (HLM4) which took place on 25 September 2025. This year, we are pushing to see leaders’ pledges become reality.  

It’s time to move from words to action. Together we can spark the necessary change for NCDs. It’s time to lead. 

The Time to Lead is now

What is the Global Week for Action

The Global Week for Action on NCDs aims to unite the NCD movement each year under a specific theme, concentrating our combined efforts with the aim of reducing the NCD burden globally and increasing health and equality.

NCDs are currently the #1 cause of death and disability in the world, and the burden is disproportionately severe in low- and middle-income countries, where four out of five people with an NCD live. Join the movement.

The Origins of the Global Week for Action

The Global Week for Action on NCDs was first organised in 2018 ahead of the third UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, when the NCD movement was mobilised to say ENOUGH to preventable death and illness from NCDs. People living with NCDs, high-level champions and hundreds of advocates from NCDA’s network of supporters, members, national and regional alliances, as well as individuals demanded “our health, our right, right now”. The second Global Week for Action in 2019 also took place under the umbrella of the ENOUGH campaign, and built on a momentous first year.

moving from ENOUGH... to Action!

Starting in 2020 and continuing until the fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025, the Global Week for Action on NCDs campaign focuses on bridging the biggest gaps to progress on NCDs: Accountability, Investment, Leadership, Community Engagement and Care. Each year was dedicated to one of them - starting with Accountability - and with specific actions suggested to strengthen collaboration across the NCD movement.

This year, the campaign is focused on ensuring that leaders turn their pledges into reality. Your voice, your actions, and collective public pressure can help make this happen. Whether you share your story on social media, write to your Minister of Health, support your national or regional NCD alliance, or start conversations in your community, every action helps drive change. The Global Week for Action on NCDs is a chance to turn commitments into accountability and move closer to a world where everyone enjoys the right to health.