May 21, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Predicting and Promoting Well-Being Societies:
How Policy Benchmarking and Simulation Models Can Accelerate NCD Prevention
World Health Assembly, May 18 – 26, 2026
Date
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Time
- 13.00 – 14.00 CEST
- Light lunch will be served from 12.30 CEST
Venue
INTERCONTINENTAL GENÈVE (Room: Bruxelles)
Chemin du Petit Saconnex 7-9, 1209, Geneva, Switzerland
Registration Link
We look forward to welcoming you at the event. Reserve your seat here.
Background
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) remain the leading cause of death globally, responsible for nearly three-quarters of all deaths worldwide. But implementation of cost-effective prevention policies remains insufficient, despite compelling scientific evidence and best practice country experiences.
At the same time, global discussions are shifting toward well-being societies, recognizing that economic and social policies should be designed to improve health, social cohesion, and quality of life rather than focusing solely on economic growth.
The World Health Assembly agenda item on Well-being and Health Promotion highlights the need for new policy tools that enable governments to measure progress toward well-being and to identify policy options that generate long-term health gains.
Two very promising approaches can support this shift:
- Policy benchmarking tools, such as the Public Health Index (PHI), which compare national policy environments across major NCD risk factors.
- Simulation models, such as the NCDSim model developed by the Swedish Cancer Foundation, the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, and the Public Health Agency of Sweden, which allow policymakers to project how different policy scenarios can reduce and prevent the future burden of NCDs.
Together, these tools help translate scientific evidence into actionable policy insights.
They allow governments to identify which NCDs prevention policies have the greatest potential to improve population health and societal well-being.
This side event explores how policy benchmarking and simulation modelling can strengthen prevention strategies and accelerate progress toward well-being societies.
The event will illustrate how structural policies addressing major risk factors, such as alcohol taxation and public interest governance of alcohol markets, can function as powerful catalysts for NCD prevention and societal well-being.
Objectives
The event aims to:
- Demonstrate how policy benchmarking and simulation modelling can support evidence-informed NCDs and risk factor prevention policymaking.
- Explore how these tools can help governments predict future disease burdens and assess the long-term benefits of NCDs and risk factor prevention policies.
- Highlight how structural prevention policies, such as alcohol taxation and public interest governance of alcohol markets, can promote population health and societal well-being.
- Foster dialogue between policymakers, researchers, public institutions, and civil society on accelerating implementation of effective NCD prevention strategies.
Guiding Questions
The event will explore several key questions:
- How can benchmarking tools help governments compare and improve prevention policies across countries?
- How can simulation models help predict future NCD and risk factor burdens and guide policy decisions?
- What role do structural policies addressing major risk factors play in promoting well-being societies?
- How can collaboration between governments, researchers, and civil society accelerate NCDs and risk factor prevention initiatives?
Program (60 minutes)
1. Opening and welcoming (5 minutes)
Moderator: Prof. Ilona Kickbusch
Welcome, framing of the event, and introduction of speakers
Introduction to the event’s theme and objectives, framing of the two policy tools to be presented, and introduction of all speakers.
2. Framing the discussion: Opening remarks from World Health Organization (5 minutes)
Etienne Krug, Director, Department of Health Promotion and Social Determinants, World Health Organization (confirmed)
3. Predicting health futures: simulation modelling (7 minutes)
Olivia Wigzell, Director General, Public Health Agency of Sweden (confirmed)
Using NCDSim to project future disease burdens
Presentation of the overall purpose and benefits of the NCDSim model and how simulation modelling can help policymakers understand the long-term health impacts of different policy scenarios, with a focus on alcohol policy best buys.
3. Policy benchmarking: measuring prevention environments (7 minutes)
Dr. Sophie Rabe, Head of Prevention (Topics: Non-communicable diseases, Health-in-All-Policies, Commercial Determinants of Health), AOK Germany (confirmed)
Benchmarking prevention policies: lessons from the Public Health Index
Presentation of the Public Health Index and how benchmarking tools can help governments compare policy environments across major NCD risk factors and identify opportunities for improvement.
4. Panel discussion (25 minutes)
With
- Dr. Letícia de Oliveira Cardoso (virtual) Director of the Department of Epidemiological Analysis and Surveillance of Noncommunicable Diseases SVSA/MoH Ministry of Health of Brazil (confirmed)
- Ann Carlsson Meyer, CEO, Systembolaget (confirmed)
- Kristina Sperkova, International President, Movendi International and President, Movendi Sweden (confirmed)
Moderated discussion in two rounds. The moderator poses one question per round to each of the four panelists, with approximately two minutes per response.
5. Evidence synthesis (5 minutes)
Olivia Wigzell and Dr. Sophie Rabe
Drawing on what they heard in the panel discussion, each presenter responds shortly to the moderator’s question about key take-aways (approximately two minutes per speaker).
6. Closing
Moderator Prof. Ilona Kickbusch
Brief closing reflections and thanks to speakers and participants.
Expected Outcomes
Participants will gain:
- increased awareness of policy benchmarking and simulation tools for progress towards well-being societies,
- insights into how these tools can support evidence-informed policymaking,
- practical examples of NCDs and risk factor prevention policies that improve health and societal well-being, and
- opportunities to elevate collaboration between policymakers, researchers, public institutions, and civil society.
Target Audience
The event is aimed at:
- Member State delegates attending the World Health Assembly,
- Policymakers involved in NCDs and risk factor prevention and health promotion,
- Public health researchers,
- Civil society organizations, and
- International organizations working on health and development.
Why This Event Matters
The transition toward well-being societies requires accelerated action for NCDs and risk factor prevention policies supported by robust evidence and practical policy tools.
By combining benchmarking tools, simulation modelling, policy implementation experience, and civil society perspectives, this side event will demonstrate how governments can better predict and shape well-being futures.
It highlights how NCDs and risk factor prevention policies addressing major risk factors can generate significant health, social, and economic benefits – advancing the global goal of healthier, more resilient societies.