Welcome to this week's NCDA newsletter! We just got back from the webinar on health workforce optimisation where we launched a new policy report. We are also featuring a new publication on air pollution and NCDs, as well as new resources for the Global Week for Action. Read on!

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Staffed, Skilled, Supported and Sustainably Financed Health Workforce 

Latest NCD Alliance report finds that some of the countries with the fastest-growing burden of noncommunicable disease (NCDs) are experiencing the most severe workforce shortages, including both primary health care workers and specialists. 

WHO estimates project a health workforce shortage of 11.1 million by 2030. This shortage will not be evenly distributed but rather will deepen inequities between and within regions, with particularly high shortages in areas which also have high NCD needs, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and South Asia. One of the key factors driving disparities is migration of health workers from lower to higher income countries and gaps between rural and urban areas. 

Ahead of the Fourth High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being (HLM4), NCD Alliance releases a policy research report featuring recommendations of how the health workforce could be better Staffed, Skilled, Supported and Sustainably Financed everywhere. It takes stock of the current global situation and the challenges and opportunities in regard to optimising the health workforce for NCD prevention, treatment and care. 

You can download the whole report here.

Note: All the participants of the webinar where we launched the report will receive the recording and slides shortly.

Air Pollution as one of the major risks for NCDs

Following the Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, NCD Alliance published a new advocacy guide aimed at supporting civil society organisations (CSOs) in making the case for the political prioritisation of air pollution as a critical risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The guide aims to assist CSOs in their preparations for the fourth High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion of mental health and well-being (HLM4), happening on 25 September 2025 in New York, and its follow-up. 

You can download the guide here.

You can also watch an expert discussion on the topic taking place after the Conference in the recording of our live stream here. 

UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health - Priorities for Mental Health

The UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health in September 2025 marks a pivotal moment to prioritise mental health on the global stage.  Mental health is now a central focus of a UN HLM agenda providing a unique opportunity to drive transformative commitments and accelerate progress.

A new HLM briefing document from United for Global Mental Health highlights key priorities for achieving equitable, integrated, and rights-based mental health services and prevention worldwide and is meant to support UN Member States, policymakers, and advocates.

The briefing is endorsed by leading global organisations, Save the Children, World Federation for Mental Health, PATH, MHPSS Collaborative and others, this briefing is a call to action for stakeholders to unite around shared priorities and influence the outcomes of the HLM.

You can download the briefing here

Addressing the NCD burden across Africa: A message to leaders

Ferdinant Sonyuy, Chairperson of Africa NCDs Network, discusses the impact of NCDs in LMICs – specifically in the African region, where they are responsible for over 24% of deaths. He highlights why 2025 is such a pivotal year for NCDs and calls on heads of state to act now with international collaboration and effective community engagement.

Listen to the full interview with Ferdinant Sonyuy here
 
To learn more information, please visit Accelerating Action, a Devex series on NCD financing produced in partnership with NCD Alliance.

18-25 September confirmed for the 2025 Global Week for Action on NCDs

The NCD Alliance is happy to announce that the 2025 Global Week for Action on NCDs will take place from 18–25 September, serving as the final global mobilisation ahead of the fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health. Learn more about the 2025 campaign here.

We announce the dates of the campaign and release our first resource for the 2025 campaign - a Leadership Dialogue with Saunthari Somasundaram, President of the National Cancer Society Malaysia and Member of NCDA Board, and Ulrika Årehed Kågström, President of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), discussing the meaning leadership on NCDs nowadays.  You can watch the leadership dialogue here.