Table 1
Major United Nations high‑level events/commitments to investing in NCD prevention and control and enhancement of mental health and well‑being.
| YEAR | EVENT | EXAMPLES OF FINANCING‑RELATED HIGH‑LEVEL COMMITMENTS AND ACTIONS |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | First UNGA High‑Level Meeting on NCD Prevention and Control | In the Political Declaration, governments committed to “identify[ing] and mobiliz[ing] adequate, predictable and sustained financial resources…for long‑term financing of NCD prevention and control.” |
| 2013 | WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs (2013–2030), extended in 2020 | Governments were encouraged to “increase and prioritize budgetary allocations” for NCD prevention and control with a focus on best buy interventions (Appendix of the Global Action Plan). |
| 2013 | Establishment of the United Nations Interagency Task Force (UNIATF) on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases by the UN Secretary‑General | UNIATF brought together over 40 UN agencies for a whole‑of‑government and whole‑of‑society approach to scale up action to address NCDs. Since 2015, UNIATF has been working to achieve SDG target 3.4, UHC, and other health‑related SDGs. |
| 2014 | Establishment of the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of NCDs (GMC/NCD) by WHO (A67/14Add.1 8 May 2014) | The GCM/NCD Terms of Reference developed by the Member States confirmed one of the main functions of the GCM: the advocacy for resource mobilization. Other functions included advocacy to raise awareness, disseminate knowledge and information, identify barriers, encourage innovation, and advance multisectoral action. |
| 2014 | Second UNGA High‑Level Meeting on NCD Prevention and Control | “Continue to explore the provision of adequate, predictable, and sustained resources, through domestic, bilateral, regional, and multilateral channels, including traditional and voluntary innovative financing mechanisms.” |
| 2015 | Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development | Commitment to “substantially increase health financing.” |
| 2017 | WHO Global Conference on NCDs and Sustainable Development: Enhancing policy coherence between different spheres of policymaking that have a bearing on attaining SDG target 3.4 on NCDs by 2030 (Montevideo, Uruguay) | Montevideo Roadmap 2018–2030 committed to “increase significantly the financing of national NCD responses and international cooperation.” |
| 2018 | Report of the WHO Independent High‑Level Commission on NCDs: Time to Deliver | “Increase the percentage of national budgets allocated to health, health promotion, and essential public health functions, and within health, to NCDs and mental health.” |
| 2018 | First WHO Global Dialogue on Partnerships for Sustainable Financing of NCD Prevention and Control (Copenhagen, Denmark) | “Complement domestic resources, both public and private, with international cooperation, including official development assistance with a focus on LMIC, and other resources, to increase health expenditure on NCD prevention and control, consistent with country needs and priorities.” |
| 2018 | Third UNGA High‑Level Meeting on NCD Prevention and Control | Governments recommitted to “mobiliz[ing] adequate, predictable and sustained resources for national responses to prevent and control NCDs and to promote mental health and well‑being, through domestic, bilateral and multilateral channels, including international cooperation and development assistance.” |
| 2019 | First UNGA High‑Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC): Universal Health Coverage—moving together to build a healthier world | Committed to “pursu[ing] efficient health financing policies…to eliminate barriers to access to quality, safe, effective, affordable and essential health services…throughout the life course, through better allocation and use of resources, with adequate financing for PHC, in accordance with national contexts and priorities.” |
| 2019 | WHO Global Meeting to Accelerate Progress on SDG Target 3.4 on NCDs and Mental Health (Muscat, Oman) | Focus on fiscal measures for health to ensure sustainable financing for NCD prevention and control and enhanced mental health and well‑being. |
| 2020 | Establishment of the WHO Global NCD Platform (GNP) | GNP was established to maximize synergies between GCM and UNIATF with a mandate to “coordinate the United Nations system and mobilize non‑State actors to unlock their transformative potential to complement and enhance WHO’s work in supporting governments to develop whole‑of‑government and whole‑of‑society responses to address SDG 3.4 and other NCD‑related SDGs.” |
| 2021 | Establishment of the UN Multi‑partner Trust Fund to address NCD and mental health conditions | The Multiparter Trust Fund (The Health4Life Trust Fund) led by UNIATF was established to catalyze countries’ action on NCDs and mental health. |
| 2021 | World Health Assembly Decision (WHA74(11)) to extend the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of NCDs until 2030, with five key areas of work | The role of the GCM/NCD in WHO’s work on multistakeholder engagement for the prevention and control of NCDs: (i) an operational backbone for knowledge collaboration and the dissemination of innovative multistakeholder responses at the country level; (ii) an enabler for the global stocktaking of multistakeholder action at the country level; (iii) the provision and updating of guidance to Member States on engagement with non‑State actors; (iv) a global facilitator for the strengthened capacity of Member States and civil society to develop national multistakeholder NCD responses; and (v) a convener of civil society, including people living with NCDs, to raise awareness and build capacity for their meaningful participation. |
| 2023 | Second UNGA High‑Level Meeting on UHCExpanding Our Ambition for Health and Well‑being in a Post‑COVID World | Recommitted to ensuring “a sustainable and adequate financing to implement high‑impact policies to protect and promote peoples health, including by providing financial risk protection, and addressing social, economic, environmental and other determinants of health by working across all sectors through health‑in‑all‑policies approach.” |
| 2024 | International Dialogue on Sustainable Financing to Address NCDs and Mental Health Conditions | Reiterated the need for “Increased and improved financing” to prevent and control NCDs and mental health conditions, including development assistance as a catalytic source of funding. |