Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases are taking the lives of 41 million people prematurely each year, and inflicting daily hardship for those at risk or living with an NCD, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

The WHO added that persistent action and bold leadership are needed to address this burden worldwide.  The UN agency said that the Global NCD Compact 2020-2030 and Global Group of Heads of State and Government for NCDs  were launched in 2022 to accelerate progress and scale up the prevention and control of NCDs toward achieving universal health coverage (UHC).

The initiative builds on the 3 UN High-level political declarations for NCDs and will galvanize momentum in the second UN High-level meeting on UHC in 2023, and towards the fourth UN High-level meeting on the prevention and control of NCDs in 2025.

The Global Group of Heads of State and Government for NCDs will convene a second annual gathering on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 21 to raise the priority accorded to the prevention and control of NCDs within the national and international SDG response.

They will also raise deliberate on the Global NCD Compact 2020–2030 and showcase national and international actions on NCD and the SDGs.

They are expected to discuss on how to leverage the collective to inspire and support global action on NCDs and the SDGs.

There will be a discussion on accelerating national action as part of the NCD Implementation Road map 2023-25.