ActioNCD Today : Delivering on the 33 x 30 NCD Promise!
adminIn today’s world, Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) stand as a formidable group of afflictions, including Diabetes, Cancer, Heart and Lung Diseases, all fueled by shared risk factors: Unhealthy Diet, Physical Inactivity, Tobacco use, and Harmful alcohol consumption.
This challenge looms large, burdening nations with chronic health issues, complacency among populations, and the complexity of implementing effective solutions. The consequences of inaction could be catastrophic, casting a looming crisis over every country. People are yearning for change, children’s lives are at stake, the workforce is weary, and funding is limited. To address this pressing concern, the United Nations has launched the 33 x 30 promise, a pledge to reduce premature mortality by 33% by 2030. Fulfilling this promise holds the potential to alleviate suffering, offer comfort, unleash human potential, and ultimately save lives!
Despite our advanced knowledge of prevention and management strategies for NCDs, the progress made by countries in implementing these strategies remains inadequate, with only 15 countries currently on track to meet the WHO’s 2030 targets.
What we need now is to ActioNCD – an urgent call to action for everyone TODAY!
• When a politician or decision-maker prioritizes health and adopts a healthy public policy, action can commence TODAY!
• When individuals embrace healthier behaviors, their risk decreases starting TODAY!
• When healthcare providers actively screen for NCDs and initiate treatment, individual risks are reduced starting TODAY!
• When individuals adhere to prescribed treatments, the benefits become evident, and complications risks start decreasing TODAY!
• When countries recognize the need and request expert support, swift assistance without delay can lead to program improvements TODAY!
NCDs may be chronic, but action for long-term results can begin TODAY! It’s about delayed gratification, not a get-rich-quick mentality. ActioNCD is the path to better health TODAY!
At the highest levels of government, we’ve seen commitments: 4 UN High-Level Meetings on NCDs and 4 Global Plans on NCDs through the World Health Assembly. Yet, only 15 countries are on track to achieve the NCD targets by 2030. Why are we falling short? Did we set the bar too high? Have we done enough? Let’s break it down to individuals working on this, be it in government, NGOs, or NSAs. While politicians have made commitments, practitioners must follow through. Together, we must ‘Walk The Talk,’ and this is what ActioNCD stands for – putting action behind every commitment for NCD prevention and control!
Therefore, capacity building and empowering our human resources are crucial components of ActioNCD. We must create an NCD-ready workforce of Public Health NCD executives who would then develop and deliver programs. In light of the complexity of the challenge, we must equip our people with the skills, knowledge, and competency to lead and influence even without positional authority. It’s time to adopt a BE-DO-HAVE mentality: Be the better version of oneself to accomplish the impossible tasks and help each country achieve its NCD targets. NCDs are a chronic crisis requiring urgent attention.
ActioNCD centers on a country-driven program of support, emphasizing:
• Empowering communities with accessible NCD knowledge
• Mobilizing populations with impactful NCD messaging
• Developing local capacity to lead and influence effectively
• Providing expert country-driven assistance with urgency and flexibility
• Implementing innovative country-driven integration projects
In the years ahead, ActioNCD is committed to providing comprehensive support for NCD prevention and control, including:
• Empowering the workforce for leadership in public health and NCDs
• Establishing an interactive NCD knowledge portal and messaging platform
• Building a provider network offering accessible, high-quality support, including health system care
• Facilitating financed innovative integrated projects led by countries
We aim to be the “IKEA of NCD and Public Health services support,” contributing to the prevention and control of Diabetes, Cancer, Heart, and Lung Diseases, and ultimately saving lives from the most preventable of diseases.
Join us in the ActioNCD movement – together, we can make a difference TODAY!
