Global NCD Alliance Forum

2025 Forum – Leadership on NCDs Towards 2025 and Beyond

The 2025 Global NCD Alliance Forum took place in Kigali, Rwanda, in February 2025, and for the first time on the African continient. Rwanda, known for its remarkable leadership in public health, provided an inspiring backdrop for the Forum.

This milestone event was co-hosted with Rwanda NCD Alliance, the Rwanda Ministry of Health, and Rwanda Biomedical Centre, and with thanks to our strategic partnership with The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. It brought together delegates from around the globe to mobilise ahead of the 2025 High-Level Meeting on NCDs.

Moderators introducing Plenary 2 at the Global NCDA Forum 2025

A critical juncture for the NCD response

The timing of the Forum in 2025 was strategic and deliberate, being held just under one year until the fourth UN High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) on NCDs in New York.

This will be the fourth time Heads of Government and State will come together at the UN to review progress on NCDs, and agree global and national commitments for the next 5-10 years. The UNHLM will mark the end date of the 2025 NCD global targets, therefore providing an important moment for reflection and accountability on NCDs.

The Forum provided a the platform for the NCD movement to strategise, coordinate and unite ahead of the UNHLM, to ensure it results in strong outcomes and meaningful change for people at risk and living with NCDs.

Explore more on the Forum Website

Charting the course for a mobilised civil society

Convene the NCD Movement to accelerate collective multisectoral action on NCDs ahead of the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Increase global and regional awareness and commitment to NCDs as a health and sustainable development priority, promoting cost-effective solutions to prevent and treat NCDs.

Unite and mobilise NCD civil society from national, regional and global levels, building consensus on advocacy strategies and priorities, and sharing tools and resources to strengthen civil society capacity to advocate for action on NCDs.

Promote evidence, knowledge and know-how on NCDs, showcasing good practice in NCD policy, implementation and advocacy, and lessons learnt.

Increase the visibility, meaningful involvement, and voice of people living with NCDs and youth as drivers of the NCD movement.

2025 Forum Impact

Launch of the Call to Lead and the Kigali Youth Declaration

The Call to Lead is a vital advocacy tool, uniting voices from across civil society to demand bold leadership, stronger policies, and greater accountability in the global response to NCDs. It urges governments to honour their commitments and take decisive action at the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September.

Alongside The Call to Lead the Global Forum saw the launch of another critical call: the Kigali Youth Declaration. Young people are driving change in NCD response, calling for investment, accountability and action. Their voices must be heard and factored into decision-making.

Sign the Call to Lead

Delegates of the NCD Alliance Forum Smiling while sitting at a table

WATCH: Forum wrap-up video

Continuing a legacy of impact

The inaugural Global NCD Alliance Forum took place in 2015 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by subsequent editions in 2017 and 2020. In 2025, we mark the fourth edition of the Global Forum, and for the first time on the African continent.

The 2025 Global NCD Alliance Forum will build off the success and legacy of the previous ones held in 2015, 2017 and 2020 in Sharjah, UAE, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheika Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, Founder and Royal Patron of Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP). Following a break necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2025 will mark the 4th Global NCD Alliance Forum and the first Forum to take place in sub-Saharan Africa.

2020

The 2020 Forum was organised under the banner theme of “Bridging the Gap”, with a view to accelerating global efforts to translate political commitments and rhetoric, into action and implementation at national and local levels. The Forum focussed on three key catalysts for change to bridge the gaps in the NCD response: accelerating transformative policies and solutions, building demand for action through social movements and voices of change, and enhancing accountability through transformative and inclusive governance.

A notable outcome was the Bridging the Gap: From global promisses to local progress discussion paper, which outlined priority gaps in the NCD response for advocacy, shaping the themes of NCDA’s Global Week for Action since.

2017

In 2017, the Forum convened just before the 3rd UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2018. Under the theme “Stepping up the Pace on NCDs: Making 2018 Count,” its objectives were to build consensus on advocacy priorities for the upcoming HLM, facilitate campaign planning, and strengthen the capacity of the NCD network.

Sub-themes included advocating for NCD prevention and control, breaking down silos, and sharing tools and strategies for advocacy and mobilization. A significant outcome was the establishment of NCDA campaign priorities for the 2018 UNHLM on NCDs.

2015

The inaugural Forum in 2015 marked a pivotal moment in convening the NCD community and civil society, following the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which included NCDs as a target. Under the theme of “Advocacy and Accountability in the Post-2015 Era,” the Forum aimed to advocate for NCDs within the sustainable development agenda and brought together national and regional alliances for the first time. Sub-themes encompassed advocacy and accountability, organizational development, and partnerships for success. A significant outcome was the formulation of the Sharjah Declaration, which underscored NCD civil society commitment to supporting the SDG agenda.

Impact Report

Global NCD Alliance Forum 2020: Post-Forum Report

Impact Report

Global NCD Alliance Forum 2020: Forum Snapshot