New york: Leads in the fight against noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health have been called upon to turn their commitment into action at the upcoming 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting. The UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health will be held on September 25, 2025, in New York.
According to Ghana News Agency, The Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, Ghana and the NCD Alliance, Ghana, civil society organisations made the call in a joint statement. They emphasized the need for the meeting to be a turning point where commitments transform into action, plans into reality, and promises into progress. The statement urged governments to prioritize public health over commercial influence, declaring the meeting as a pivotal moment for leaders.
The statement highlighted the grave impact of NCDs and mental health conditions, noting that these diseases account for more than 74 per cent of deaths worldwide, affecting human development and economies. It underscored the human cost behind these statistics, with families driven into poverty and communities losing productive citizens due to preventable diseases.
The joint statement stressed the need for clear messaging at the High-Level Meeting, advocating for an end to commercial interests dictating health policies. It called for governments to prioritize health and well-being over industry profits, emphasizing that tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, and sugar-sweetened beverages are significant drivers of disease.
Leadership, the statement argued, requires action, resources, and accountability. It highlighted the WHO Global Action Plan on NCDs 2013-2030 as a blueprint for action but noted the absence of political will to implement it fully. The statement urged leaders to accelerate the implementation of life-saving measures to prevent unnecessary deaths and economic burdens.
Financing was identified as crucial, with many countries citing lack of resources to address NCDs and mental health. The statement advocated for increasing domestic revenue through health taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages, describing it as both an economic strategy and a moral imperative. Such taxes, it noted, save lives and generate revenue to bolster health systems and expand mental health services.
The statement also addressed the challenge of access to care, urging governments to remove barriers to essential medicines, diagnostics, and treatment for people living with NCDs. It called for a commitment to Universal Health Coverage that includes effective NCD and mental health services, emphasizing the need for primary health care expansion, steady supply of essential medicines, and comprehensive care training for health workers.
Finally, the statement emphasized the importance of placing individuals living with NCDs and mental health conditions at the center of decisions, ensuring their dignity, inclusion, and opportunity. It ended with a call for decisive leadership, urging governments to enter the UN High-Level Meeting with a clear purpose to lead on NCDs and mental health, implement effective interventions, increase financing through health taxes, and shield policies from industry interference.
