Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the NCD Alliance newsletter! The 1st meeting of the WHO Symposium on Meaningful Engagement is happening next week. An opportunity for young people to get engaged in the World No Tobacco Day campaign. And more stories below...

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Registration for the 1st meeting of the WHO Symposium on Meaningful Engagement is now open

The 1st meeting of the WHO Symposium on Meaningful Engagement will be held on 15-16 May 2024. Participants are invited to register for the event.

In preparation of the 4th High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs (4HLM on NCDs) in September 2025, the Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs (GCM/NCD) has launched the WHO Symposium on Meaningful Engagement of people living with NCDs, mental health, and neurological conditions.

Further meetings and activities are planned for later this year and in 2025. Current activities are focused on developing and implementing an advocacy strategy to operationalize meaningful engagement in the preparatory process for the 4HLM on NCDs, as well as several interim activities throughout the full Symposium timeline.

Global Youth Rally for World No Tobacco Day

Join young people from around the world to call on governments to protect their generation and those to come from harmful products like e-cigarettes and tobacco.

During the online event, participants will discuss how to speak out for the World No Tobacco Day campaign including through:

Register here...

Web-based consultation on inputs to the WHO Director-General’s Report for the High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025  

On May 1, WHO opened the web-based consultation on inputs to the WHO Director-General's Report for the HLM on NCDs in 2025. This consultation will provide an opportunity for all Member States, UN organizations, non-State actors and individuals with lived experience of health conditions to submit comments on key priority areas to inform the recommendations to be considered in the WHO Director-General’s report to the WHA 2025.

Comments can be submitted by 26 May 2024, by completing an online form which calls on key priority areas that can lead to action-oriented recommendations required to achieve the 6 objectives of the Global NCD Action Plan 2013–2030 (NCD-GAP), with an added focus on the promotion of mental health and well-being.

Global Forum 2024

In 2024, the Global NCD Alliance Forum is organised under the theme ‘Leadership on NCDs towards 2025 & beyond’, bringing together 650 delegates from around the world to strategise, coordinate and unite ahead of next year’s UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs.

Why Rwanda, who can attend and the first glance at the future programme - find the answers to these questions in our new page about the Forum.

Learn more here

Weekly update of NCD-relevant WHA77 side-events

We're keeping our dedicated event page up-to-date. This week, as usual, we've added new entries to our calendar of NCD-relevant side events. If you are planning an event and would like us to include it in our calendar, please submit your request here. Also, keep an eye on your inboxes for updated information on NCD Alliance-hosted events.

Download the calendar here...

New initiative for health equity

In March, Bristol Myers Squibb unveiled a $1.8M grant program to advance health equity by supporting local champions to address social determinants of health in Brazil, India, Thailand and the UK.

These healthcare-strengthening grants will support eight organizations that are addressing the root causes of inequities in an effort to deliver long-lasting impacts at a community level. The grantees were selected in countries with underserved communities living with cancer and blood disorders. Based on the outcomes of this pilot program, the company will consider expansion to other geographies and communities to remove systemic barriers to care, and enable better access and health outcomes.

Download the calendar here...

 Career Corner