The new episode of Voices of the health revolution focuses on the need to integrate NCDs in humanitarian contexts, features two leading experts in the field, and comes at a crucial time.

“Although the system is changing, NCDs have primarily been paid out of pocket by the individual. So even if you ask them to have a month’s supply of medicines or commodities [in case of emergency] that is a tall order if you’re paying out of pocket,” says Dr. Catherine Karekezi in the latest episode of the NCD Alliance podcast.

The episode was released just before United Nations Member States met at the Global High-level Technical Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases in Humanitarian Settings (27-29 Feb.). Organized by the World Health Organization and the UN refugee agency, the closed meeting in Copenhagen will assemble NCD, emergency, refugee, and health systems experts, along with UN agencies, academic bodies and non-State actors. All will be focused on strengthening integration of NCDs in humanitarian responses.

Ahead of the meeting, NCD Alliance published the briefing paper, Neglected and in crisis: NCDs as a priority in humanitarian settings, which contains many recommendations on improving how NCDs can be better included in humanitarian responses.