Actioning the Global NCD Compact
adminThe Global NCD Compact https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/ncds/ncd_compact.pdf?sfvrsn=d8bc7836_5&download=true is a simple and profound document summarising the commitments by countries on the prevention and control of NCDs.
The first annual gathering of a Heads of State and Government Group for the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), chaired by the President of Ghana at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was significant is showcasing the commitment of Heads of State to delivering on the different promises including the 33 x 30 NCD Promise of SDG 3.4 on NCD. Engaging the Heads of State and Government on this important agenda is critical since it has a great impact on the social and economic progress of the countries.
Ms Mia Amor Motley, Prime Minister of Barbados, noted during teh meeting that “we are paying more lip service than attention. When 2025 comes, let it not be a summit that seeks to figure out what we might do in the future, but let us commit here this morning that we will walk the walk and talk the talk.”
Involving the Heads of State is an opportunity to go Big on NCD and go beyond the remits of Health. For example, to the question of what can be done together as a group, the chairperson President Nana Akufo-Addo emphasized the need to finance the policies being discussed and to involve their spouses, the community, and everyone in this endeavor.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals target 3.4 aims to reduce premature death from NCDs by a third by 2030. While every Member State of the United Nations has committed to reducing premature death from NCDs by one-third by 2030 – few countries are currently on track to achieve it.
However, it costs less than $1 invested per person per year until 2030 to save 50 million lives.
Looking ahead to 2030, Heads of State and Government, and those signing up to the NCD Compact will underscore their commitment and take the following actions, amongst others:
ENGAGE
Engage with UN agencies, academia, non-governmental organizations, philanthropies, the private sector, civil society, and people with lived experiences of NCDs and mental health conditions to make progress and tailor NCD interventions to national health system contexts and population needs and raise the priority and fulfil the commitments made for the prevention and control of NCDs. This will include new ways to strengthen collaborations in resourcing, knowledge-sharing and technical assistance for bolder national NCD responses.
ACCELERATE
Accelerate country action, based on the NCD Implementation Roadmap 2023-2030, by implementing the best-buys and WHO NCDs technical packages including: PEN, HEARTS, MPOWER, SAFER, SHAKE and ACTIVE; and also including reorientation of PHC and strengthening of health systems; acceleration of socioeconomic development, promoting health security, and consolidating global health sustainability.
INVEST
Invest adequate, predictable, and sustained resources for the prevention and control
of NCDs, through domestic, bilateral, and multilateral channels including through the UN
Multi-Partner Trust Fund and develop Global health and development strategies for the
prevention and control of NCDs in LMICs as appropriate.
ALIGN
Align the NCD agenda by integrating it in the preparedness and response to humanitarian emergencies and environmental changes; reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health; HIV and TB; and reorient PHC and build resilient health systems, services, and infrastructure to prevent and treat people living with NCDs and maximize health outcomes.
ACCOUNT
Account to prioritize interventions, assess implementation, and learn from the impact of NCD prevention and control through strengthened surveillance and monitoring to obtain reliable and timely data at national and subnational levels on NCD risk factors, diseases, mortality, and systems. Use NCD-related indicators in health systems performance and access to health care metrics for data-driven action to scale up and deliver the most feasible and impactful interventions.
