ACCRA, Ghana – Cancer, heart diseases, diabetes and lung disease, commonly known in the global health community as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), together with mental health conditions, are one of the most significant challenges in global health today. Every year, there are more deaths from NCDs than any other disease group.
Insufficient global action on NCDs, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, are creating the very real possibility that Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets 3.4 and 3.8 will not be met. Just 14 countries are on track to achieve SDG target 3.4, to reduce by one-third the premature mortality of NCDs through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being by 2030.
Hosted by the government of Ghana, government of Norway and the World Health Organization, the International Strategic Dialogue on NCDs and the SDGs will take the next decisive step towards comprehensive action on NCDs and achieving SDG 3.4.
The International Strategic Dialogue seeks to:
- Raise the priority accorded to the prevention and control of NCDs within the national SDG response in low- and middle-income countries;
- Bring together national and international actors and partners to share knowledge and ideas with key stakeholders on what would it take globally for low- and middle-income countries to achieve SDG 3 on health, with a particular focus on SDG 3.4 (NCDs) and SDG 3.8 (UHC) targets;
- Raise the political visibility of Heads of State and Government who are providing a strategic leadership role in the prevention and control of NCDs to a global level.
The Dialogue will launch:
- An International NCD Compact 2022-2030 to accelerate the progress towards the NCD and SDG targets and
- An (informal) International Group of Heads of State and Government on the Prevention and Control of NCDs (NCD Presidential Group) that will meet annually during the High-level general debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2022 towards 2025.