Movendi International Analysis of the Zero Draft Political Declaration for the 4th High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health
Key messages
- There is a need to make the HLM4 on NCDs a turning point for alcohol policy action.
- The zero draft fails to make alcohol policy the priority it should concerning alcohol’s contribution to the NCDs and mental ill-health burden; and
- Especially since the coronavirus pandemic, the time for tobacco exceptionalism is over. The zero draft fails to properly use the potential of the SAFER alcohol policy package concerning its potential for NCDs prevention, mental health promotion, and multiple benefits beyond public health.
Overview of How Five Key Asks Are Covered in the Zero Draft
The 2018 Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) failed to deliver ambitious and evidence-based commitments on alcohol policy, leaving critical gaps that hindered progress in NCDs prevention and control.
As the 2025 High-Level Meeting on NCDs approaches, Movendi International advocates for an ambitious, evidence-based approach that prioritizes alcohol taxation, the WHO Best Buys, and safeguards against alcohol industry interference.
This analysis highlights the shortcomings of the previous declaration and outlines key priorities to ensure the next political declaration effectively addresses alcohol harm and accelerates progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our response to the zero draft builds on that comprehensive analysis by highlighting five key priorities and by providing a detailed review of areas for improvement of the zero draft.
1. Prioritize Action on the Alcohol Policy Quick Buys
Commit to make the WHO SAFER technical package the highest priority for public policy action, with emphasis on the Alcohol Policy QUICK BUYS that yield immediate health gains.
- ONLY PARTIALLY INCLUDED SO FAR
- SCREENING AND BRIEF INTERVENTIONS MISSING
- FAST TRACK ACTION ON ALCOHOL POLICY QUICK BUYS MISSING
2. Leverage the Quadruple-Win of Alcohol Taxation for NCDs Prevention
Fully leverage the potential of alcohol taxation for NCDs prevention, mental health promotion, health system strengthening, and domestic resource mobilization because the potential is massive, under-utilized, and the future of financing for health.
- WELL ADDRESSED
- MOVENDI INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTS HOW THE ZERO DRAFT COVERS ALCOHOL TAXATION
3. Employ Evidence-Based Language
Replace the flawed term of “harmful use of alcohol” with accurate, evidence-based language on alcohol harm and policy that reflects the state of the art in scientific understanding of the NCDs and mental health risk, including from low-dose alcohol consumption.
- PARTIALLY ADDRESSED
- NEEDS IMPROVEMENT ON PAGE 5 (OP 27E)
4. Remove Big Alcohol from any Role in Health Policy
Refrain from assigning any role to the alcohol industry in NCD prevention and control – as was done in the 2018 HLM3 on NCDs Political Declaration – due to their inherent and well-documented conflict of interest.
- INSUFFICIENT LANGUAGE ON PRIVATE SECTOR THAT GIVES THEM A ROLE AND FAILS TO ADDRESS CONFLICT OF INTEREST
- INSUFFICIENT MENTION OF CDOH AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST SAFEGUARDS
5. Pivot to Prevention and Health Promotion
Prioritize comprehensive prevention and health promotion strategies to tackle NCDs risk factors rather than relying on industries-favored harm reduction, self-regulation, and corporate social responsibility approaches.
- ADEQUATELY COVERED, ESPECIALLY WITH FOCUS ON ALCOHOL TAXATION AND ALCOHOL POLICY BEST BUYS
Addition: Ensure Better language and More Information on Alcohol Harm and NCDs and Mental Health Conditions
It’s important that the political declaration addresses alcohol harm properly to illustrate alcohol’s special as major risk factor for NCDs and mental health conditions, as well as alcohol use disorder and alcoholic liver disease being mental health conditions and NCDs in their own right.
- Globally, at least 400 million people, or 7% of the world’s population aged 15 years and older, live with alcohol use disorders.
- Heaviest burden shifting: The highest alcohol-attributable mortality and disease burden per liter consumed is now in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where health systems are least equipped to manage it.
- Cancer deaths due to alcohol are increasing.
- Since 2006, the total number of healthy life years lost due to alcohol-related cancer in the world has increased by 11%.
- Alcohol remains the leading risk factor for death and disease among 15- to 49-year-olds globally.
- Most countries reported no progress on the “best buys” in alcohol policy since 2010, signaling the urgent need for action.
The World Health Organization warns that without major policy changes, the global target of a 10% reduction in population-level alcohol use by 2030 will not be met – and consumption is projected to rise instead.
Zero Draft Analysis with Concrete suggestions for amendments, improvements and rationales
| Zero Draft | Movendi International Comments |
| Zero draft Political declaration of the fourth high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being Equity and integration: transforming lives and livelihoods though leadership and action on noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being We, Heads of State and Government and representatives of States and Governments, assembled at the United Nations on 25 September 2025 to review progress achieved in the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being, commit to accelerating a priority set of evidence-based, cost-effective and affordable actions, and in this regard we: | |
| 1. Reaffirm our commitment to reduce by one third premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by 2030, through prevention and treatment, and promote mental health and well-being through addressing risk factors and the determinants of health and by accelerating the implementation of the political declarations and outcome document approved by the previous high-level meetings of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases held in 20111, 20142, and 20183 and the political declarations approved by the high-level meetings on universal health coverage held in 20194 and 20235; | |
| 2. Reaffirm General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, stressing the need for a comprehensive and people-centred approach, with a view to leaving no one behind, reaching the furthest behind first, and the importance of health across all the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which are integrated and indivisible; | |
| 3. Reaffirm General Assembly resolution 69/313 of 27 July 2015 on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, which reaffirmed strong political commitment to address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and solidarity; (will be updated after Seville) | |
| 4. Take note of the Secretary-General’s report6 entitled “Progress on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being” and recognize that while some progress has been made, there are many areas using a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach; | |
| 5. Emphasize the burden of noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases (such as heart disease and stroke), cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, which together account for more than 43 million deaths each year, 18 million of which occur prematurely (before the age of 70 years), with cardiovascular diseases accounting for the largest share of these deaths, while recognizing the burden of conditions beyond the four main noncommunicable diseases; 6. Emphasize that mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, psychosis and self-harm, affect close to 1 billion people worldwide, represent a leading cause of disability, and commonly co-occur and interact with other neurological conditions (including Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia), substance use and other noncommunicable conditions; | |
| 7. Recognize that the main modifiable risk factors are behavioural, environmental and metabolic, are largely preventable, and require cross-sectoral actions to be addressed; | |
| 8. Emphasize with concern that globally there are: (i) 1.3 billion tobacco users; (ii) 1.3 billion adults living with hypertension – a doubling since 1990 (and only 1 in 5 have it under control); (iii) 800 million adults living with diabetes – a fourfold increase since 1990; and (iv) 41 million children over 5 years old being overweight or obese, while adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990; | This paragraph needs to include mention of alcohol harm. Especially because alcohol harm intersects with NCDs and mental health. For example: – Globally, at least 400 million people, or 7% of the world’s population aged 15 years and older, live with alcohol use disorders. – Cancer deaths due to alcohol are increasing. Since 2006, the total number of healthy life years lost due to alcohol-related cancer in the world has increased by 11%. – And: Among the age group of 15 to 49-year-olds, alcohol use is still the number one risk factor for global health harm. |
| 9. Emphasize that noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions are a significant risk to economic growth and security, and human capital development, with acute illness and long-term poor health preventing people from fulfilling their potential, thereby, compounding cycles of poverty and disadvantage; | Amendment: Emphasize that noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions, as well as the underlying risk factors, are a significant risk to economic growth and security, and human capital development, with acute illness and long-term poor health preventing people from fulfilling their potential, thereby, compounding cycles of poverty and disadvantage; |
| 10. Recognize that noncommunicable diseases, mental health conditions and their underlying risk factors and determinants, including the environments where people live, work and play, affect people at all ages, including children and adolescents, and recognize that currently 54% of the world’s population live in cities and this is expected to rise to 68% by 2050; | Full support |
| 11. Recognize that the poorest, socioeconomically disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised communities, including those in emergency and humanitarian settings, are often at greatest risk from noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions, and there are unique vulnerabilities for people living in Small Island Developing States; | |
| 12. Recognize that since the adoption of the political declaration in 2018, the COVID-19 pandemic, humanitarian crises, climate emergencies, conflicts, and other intersected crises have strained fiscal capacity and alongside challenging macroeconomic conditions, have had a direct impact on health and well-being and have negatively impacted on national responses to noncommunicable diseases and mental health; | |
| 13. Recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the heightened vulnerability of people living with noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions and that health systems were poorly prepared to respond to these conditions during the pandemic; | |
| 14. Recognize the threat of antimicrobial resistance, especially in the treatment of noncommunicable diseases such as cancer and commit to integrated strategies that safeguard the effectiveness of antimicrobials across health systems; | |
| 15. Recognize the need for integrated, well-financed and functioning health systems to prevent, screen, diagnose, treat and care for people living with, or at elevated risk of, noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions, focusing on primary care, while recognizing the importance of well-functioning referral systems to connect primary health care with secondary and tertiary health care for conditions that require specialized services; | |
| 16. Acknowledge that all stakeholders share responsibility and can contribute to creating an environment conducive to preventing and controlling noncommunicable diseases and promoting mental health and well-being, and recognize the need to bring together governments, civil society and the private sector to mobilize all available resources, as appropriate, for the implementation of national responses; | Importantly add: Acknowledge that all stakeholders free from conflicts of interest… |
| 17. Recognize that people living with noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions have unique experiences and can provide first-hand expertise into designing, implementing and monitoring person-centred prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care (including rehabilitation and palliation) policies and programmes; | Full support |
| 18. Recognize that people living with noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions have unique experiences and can provide first-hand expertise into designing, implementing and monitoring person-centred prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care (including rehabilitation and palliation) policies and programmes; | Full support |
| 19. Acknowledge that there are evidence-based interventions for preventing, screening, diagnosing, treating, and caring for people with noncommunicable diseases7 and mental health conditions,8 while also acknowledging that scarce resources means Member States must prioritize the most cost-effective, affordable and feasible interventions, which for the most part can be delivered at community and primary health care level; | Full support |
| 20. Acknowledge further that investing in the World Health Organization ‘Best Buys’ between now and 2030 will save close to 7 million lives, further result in 50 million additional years of healthy life, and that these outcomes can be achieved with a return on investment of at least US$ 7 by 2030 for every US$1 spent, which would result in more than US$ 230 billion in economic benefits; | This paragraph is insufficient. Add: Many of the best buys yield immediate population health benefits, so called Quick Buys Consider: many of the best buys yield immediate population health benefits, so called Quick Buys. Of the 49 interventions, 25 qualified as quick buys, including those relating to tobacco (n = 5), alcohol (n = 4), unhealthy diet (n = 3), physical inactivity (n = 1), cardiovascular disease (n = 3), diabetes (n = 4), chronic respiratory disease (n = 1), and cancer (n = 4). https://movendi.ngo/science-digest/new-study-alcohol-policies-to-prevent-ncds-generate-positive-societal-impacts-immediately/ |
| 21. Recognize that obesity is largely driven by unhealthy food environments and lack of physical activity, and that there has been no progress to stem the rate of overweight in children under 5 years of age in nearly 20 years; the number of children currently affected is 35 million; | Add 21 bis. Recognize that there is no safe or healthy amount of alcohol consumption, as alcohol is a causal factor in cancer, cardiovascular disease, brain conditions, and other non-communicable diseases already at low dose consumption, and emphasize the need to accelerate the implementation of the Global Alcohol Action Plan to reach the NCDs and SDGs targets; It is crucial for Member States to recognize that the evidence base has grown substantially since 2018 about the risks and harms due to low dose alcohol consumption, concerning cancer, cardiovascular disease, brain conditions, and other health and injury conditions. This has contributed to the development and unanimous adoption of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan in 2022. It is also crucial that Member States acknowledge the strong and growing evidence of the flawed studies that showed beneficial effects from alcohol use for cardiovascular outcomes. These studies are riddled with methodological flaws, such as the sick quitter effect, and conflict of interest due to funding from alcohol industry. https://alcoholandsociety.report https://movendi.ngo/science-digest/sick-quitter-effect-why-alcohol-deaths-have-been-underestimated-during-past-30-years/ https://movendi.ngo/policy-updates/special-feature-analysis-of-recent-high-profile-global-burden-of-disease-study-published-in-the-lancet/ |
| 22. Emphasize the need to prioritize affordable and evidenced-based actions to fast-track progress in the next five years that build on demonstrative successes in countries and maximizes return on investment, and that data are essential to chart progress; | Full support |
| 23. Recognize that multimorbidity, including co-incidence with rare diseases, increases the complexity of early diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions; | Full support |
| 24. Recognize that cost-effective and affordable population level interventions to prevent noncommunicable diseases are available and require leadership, political commitment, action and coordination beyond the health sector; | Improve: Recognize that cost-effective and affordable population level interventions to prevent noncommunicable diseases and their underlying risk factors are available and require leadership, political commitment, action and coordination beyond the health sector; |
| We therefore commit with utmost urgency to: 25. Fast-track progress on noncommunicable diseases and mental health over the next five years, focusing on tobacco control, preventing and scaling up effective treatment of hypertension and improving mental health care, with the aim to achieve the following global targets: by 2030, 150 million less people are using tobacco, 150 million more people have hypertension under control, and 150 million more people have access to mental health care; | This is insufficient. Add a focus on the alcohol policy QUICK BUYS – because they link NCDs and Mental Health, reduce healthcare burden and costs, yield returns on investment, AND generate much needed revenue for investment in health system response to NCDs and mental health conditions. There is plenty of reason to fast-track alcohol policy action: 1) WHO Member States called for accelerated action on alcohol harm as public health priority with the unanimous adoption of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan in 2022. The fourth High-Level Meeting on NCDs in a key opportunity to respond to that call. Concrete suggestion for improving the paragraph: … focusing on tobacco control, the alcohol policy quick buys, …. with the aim to achieve the global targets: by 2030: By 2030, 70% of countries have introduced, enacted or maintained the implementation of high-impact policy options and interventions Alcohol policy trends reveal the need for action according to WHO: – Most countries reported no progress on the “best buys” in alcohol policy since 2010, signalling the urgent need for action. – More than wealthier nations, lower-income countries frequently reported insufficient resources devoted to alcohol policy, – Member States continued to report interference from the alcohol industry in alcohol policy development. – In 2019, two out of every five people lived in a country that reported such interference over the past three years. The WHO identifies alcohol as an urgent public health priority with accelerated action needed. And the WHO warns that without major policy changes, the global target of a 10% reduction in population-level alcohol use by 2030 will not be met – and consumption is projected to rise instead. The current trends indicate that the global target set for alcohol consumption will not be met by 2030, and achievement of this target will require political commitment and full implementation of the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022–2030, with a focus on the high-impact policy solution included in the SAFER package. Achievement of SDG health target 3.5 requires active engagement and empowerment of civil society organisations, professional associations and people with lived experience of alcohol use disorders and other health conditions due to alcohol use. Alternative and feasible targets for fast-tracking alcohol policy: By 2030, 20% reduction of population-level alcohol use, and/ or By 2030, 50% of countries have a strengthened capacity in health services to provide prevention and treatment interventions for health conditions due to alcohol use in line with the principles of universal health coverage. |
| To reach these targets and deliver on our commitment to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases and promote mental health and well-being, we will: Create health-promoting environments through action across government 26. Increase taxation on tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages bearing in mind the World Health Organization recommendations; | Full support! |
| 27. Enact within national and, where relevant, regional contexts legislation and regulation and take action to: (a) reduce tobacco use by: (i) implementing graphic health warnings on all tobacco packages, accompanied by plain/standardized packaging; (ii) eliminating tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and (iii) comprehensively reducing exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke in indoor workplaces, public places, and public transport; (b) restrict and regulate electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS); (c) accelerate implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products; (d) reduce unhealthy diet, overweight and obesity by: (i) eliminating trans-fatty acids, and reduce levels of saturated fats, free sugars and sodium in processed food and beverages; (ii) providing front-of-pack labelling for food and beverages; (iii) putting in place public food procurement and service policies for healthy diets; (iv) protecting children and young people from the harmful impact of food marketing, including digital marketing; and (v) promoting optimal breastfeeding practices; (e) reduce | e) Replace flawed concept of “harmful use of alcohol” with language from SDG 3.5.2: reduce per capita alcohol consumption https://movendi.ngo/policy-updates/un-statistical-commission-refines-sdg-alcohol-indicator/ Add importantly under e): (iv) Increasing access to screening, brief interventions, and treatment. This matters because 1) it is a QUICK BUY and yields immediate population health benefits, 2) it addresses the mental health dimension of alcohol harm in addition to the NCDs dimension, and 3) it is part of the SAFER package – approved my member states in the Global Alcohol Action Plan in 2022. |
| 28. Increase health literacy and implement sustained best practice information and age appropriate communication programmes across the entire population to: (i) educate the public about the harms of smoking/tobacco use; (ii) promote healthy diets; (iii) promote physical activity, with links to school and community-based programmes and environmental improvements; and (iv) promote healthy life skills, resilience and mental health and well-being through school-based social and emotional learning; | Include action on alcohol, for example on alcohol and cancer Add: (ii) educate the public about the harms of alcohol concerning NCDs such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mental health conditions such as depression, suicide, PTSD, etc., including low dose alcohol consumption |
| 29. Address key social determinants of noncommunicable diseases and mental health by: (i) securing access to inclusive and quality education and supportive living and learning environments from childhood to adulthood; (ii) promoting safe, supportive and decent working conditions; (iii) providing social protection and livelihood support for low-income and impoverished households; and (iv) addressing social exclusion of older persons, particularly older women in rural areas; Target: at least 80% of countries have implemented or increased excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages to levels recommended by the World Health Organization by 2030. | Full support! Note: there is no WHO recommendation for alcohol taxation. Alternative language: Target: at least 80% of countries have implemented or increased taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages to levels that decrease affordability and help achieve the respective SDGs targets of population-level reductions in consumption. |
| Strengthen primary healthcare 30. Orientate health system and social care policies and capacities to support the essential needs of people living with or at risk of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions, across the life course, including through: (i) expanding community-based services to improve prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, referral pathways, and follow-up for hypertension, diabetes, cancers, depression and other common noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions; (ii) integrating prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and long-term care into existing programmes for communicable diseases, maternal and child health, and sexual and reproductive health programmes; (iii) shifting mental health care and resources from specialized institutions to general health care services delivered in community-based settings, in line with World Health Organization guidance,9 focusing on outcomes rather than on procedures; | Add/need to mention: alcohol and other substance use disorders Concretely: … (i) expanding community-based services to improve prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, referral pathways, and follow-up for hypertension, diabetes, cancers, depression, alcohol and other substance use disorders and other common noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions The high prevalence around the world merits inclusion and mention here! |
| 31. Prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases by scaling up: (i) early diagnosis, affordable and effective treatment, and regular follow up for people at risk or living with high blood pressure; (ii) access to antihypertensive treatment and statin-based therapies for those at high-risk of a heart attack or stroke; | |
| 32. Improve care for people living with diabetes in line with the 2030 global coverage targets,10 by scaling up early diagnosis, affordable and effective treatment (including insulin) and regular follow up for people at risk or living with diabetes to reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular and other complications; 33. Eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem in line with the 2030 global targets,11 by scaling up (i) human papillomavirus vaccination, (ii) screening for cervical cancer with a high-performance test, and (iii) treatment for women with cervical cancer; | |
| 34. Prevent liver cancer through scaling up hepatitis B immunization in all countries with high prevalence of hepatitis B infection; | |
| 35. Scale up the availability and provision of as well as the access to psychosocial, psychological and pharmacological treatments for depression, anxiety and psychosis within general health care services, as well as for other related priority conditions, including childhood and youth mental health conditions, self-harm, alcohol use, epilepsy and dementia, while addressing the stigma associated with these conditions; | |
| 36. Scale up the availability and provision of as well as the access to psychosocial, psychological and pharmacological treatments for depression, anxiety and psychosis within general health care services, as well as for other related priority conditions, including childhood and youth mental health conditions, self-harm, alcohol use, epilepsy and dementia, while addressing the stigma associated with these conditions; | Full support |
| 37. Increase the number, capacity, retention, and competencies of trained health care workers to implement integrated primary care services for prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care for people living with one or several noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions; | |
| 38. Advance equitable, sustainable and affordable access to quality-assured medicines and health technologies for noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions, while supporting and creating systems to uphold their quality and safety by: (i) strengthening pricing policies and financial protection mechanisms; (ii) strengthening procurement and diversified, resilient supply chains; (iii) strengthening regulatory systems; and (iv) assessing intellectual property policies in light of global health needs; | |
| 39. Leverage technology and innovation for noncommunicable disease prevention and control, and improving mental health, including through digital12 and assistive products and technologies, to increase access to quality systems and services and to empower people living with these conditions, while recognizing the risks that these technologies can pose to mental well-being; Target: at least 80% of public primary health care facilities in all countries have uninterrupted availability of at least 80% of World Health Organization-recommended essential medicines and basic technologies for noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions at affordable prices by 2030. | |
| Increase sustainable financing 40. Increase domestic resources for preventing and controlling noncommunicable diseases and promoting mental health and well-being through improved public financial management, higher taxes on health harming products and the allocation of budgets in line with national health priorities and unmet needs for care; | Full Support |
| 41. Commit to mobilize and allocate adequate, predictable and sustained resources for national responses to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases and to promote mental health and well-being, through domestic, bilateral and multilateral channels, including international cooperation and official development assistance, and continue exploring voluntary innovative financing mechanisms and partnerships, including with the private sector, to advance action at all levels; | Full Support |
| 42. Urgently scale up the percentage of public health budgets dedicated to mental health with the aim to increase the current global average of 2% to at least 5% by 2030; | Full Support |
| 43. Strengthen strategic purchasing arrangements, such as pooled procurement, to stimulate the scaled-up implementation of cost-effective interventions identified in health benefit packages; | Full Support |
| 44. Strengthen strategic purchasing arrangements, such as pooled procurement, to stimulate the scaled-up implementation of cost-effective interventions identified in health benefit packages; | |
| 45. Reduce out-of-pocket expenditure and the risk of impoverishment for people and households affected by noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions by revising financial protection policies to explicitly cover or limit the cost of essential services, diagnostics, and medicines; Target: at least 80% of countries have financial protection policies in place that cover or limit the cost of essential services, diagnostics, and medicines for noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions by 2030. | |
| Strengthen governance 46. Develop and implement noncommunicable diseases and mental health multisectoral national plans and, where appropriate, subnational plans that: (i) are focused on a set of evidence-based, cost-effective and affordable interventions that are based on the local context; (ii) identify the roles and responsibilities of government ministries and agencies and development partners; (iii) are costed and linked to broader health, development and emergency plans; (iv) are rights-based and engaging people living with noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions; and (v) are ambitious but have measurable targets; | Full Support Add 46 bis. Safeguard health governance and policymaking processes, including participatory approaches, from conflicts of interest and interference from health-harming industries, to ensure public health policy making protects and promotes the public interest |
| 47. Integrate noncommunicable diseases prevention and control, and mental health and psychosocial support, into health security, pandemic and emergency preparedness and humanitarian response frameworks to contribute to resilient and responsive health systems capable of effective emergency preparedness and response; | Add: including the underlying risk factors |
| 48. Counter misinformation and disinformation around the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions, including by increasing health literacy, and regulate digital environments to ensure the necessary protections, especially for children and young people, against harmful commercial marketing and all forms of online violence; Target: at least 80% of countries have integrated noncommunicable diseases prevention and control, and mental health and psychosocial support, into national preparedness and response frameworks by 2030. | Full Support Add 48 bis. Create, expand, and fund the meaningful participation of young people, civil society, affected communities, and people living with NCDs and mental health conditions to support inclusive governance and social participation in efforts to prevent and reduce NCDs and promote mental health and well-being |
| Strengthen data and surveillance to monitor progress and hold ourselves accountable 49. Improve infrastructure for systematic and ongoing country surveillance on noncommunicable diseases, risk factors and mental health, including death registration, population-based surveys, and facility-based information systems; | |
| 50. Incorporate reporting on noncommunicable diseases and mental health into national Sustainable Development Goals-related review processes such as the voluntary national reviews, including timely reporting on global targets; Target: at least 80% of countries have an operational noncommunicable diseases and mental health surveillance and monitoring system by 2030. | |
| 51. Incorporate reporting on noncommunicable diseases and mental health into national Sustainable Development Goals-related review processes such as the voluntary national reviews, including timely reporting on global targets; Target: at least 80% of countries have an operational noncommunicable diseases and mental health surveillance and monitoring system by 2030. | |
| Follow up In order to ensure adequate follow-up, we: 52. Emphasize the leading role of the World Health Organization as the directing and coordinating authority on international health to continue to support Member States through its normative and standard-setting work, provision of technical cooperation, assistance and policy advice, and the promotion of multisectoral and multistakeholder partnerships and dialogue; | Full Support |
| 53. Call upon United Nations agencies, multilateral development banks and other regional and intergovernmental organizations, to scale up support to Member States in their efforts to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions and the implementation of the present political declaration; | Add: via the UN Interagency Task Force on the prevention and control of NCDs |
| 54. Further call upon United Nations agencies, multilateral development banks and other regional and intergovernmental organizations to scale up support to Member States through catalytic development assistance, including through the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the Health4Life Fund; | Full Support |
| 55. Also call upon the Global Fund to prioritize further the inclusion of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions interventions into its work programme; | Add: including the underlying risk factors |
| 56. Call upon the private sector to strengthen its commitment to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases and promote mental health and well-being by contributing to the implementation of the present political declaration and the outcomes of the previous high-level meetings of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases held in 2011, 2014, and 2018; | This paragraph is not evidence-based and does not apply the lessons learned since the HLM3 on NCDs political declaration. For example, the alcohol industry has failed to eliminate marketing to children and youth – which the HLM3 on NCDs political declaration called for in 2018. Add: that does not have a fundamental conflict of interest |
| 57. Request the Secretary-General to provide, in consultation with Member States, and in collaboration with the World Health Organization and relevant funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations system, to submit to the General Assembly by the end of 2030 a progress report on the implementation of the present political declaration on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being, which will serve to inform the next high-level meeting to be convened in 2031. | Full Support |
Source Website: Movendi International Advocacy Priorities for the HLM4 on NCDs and Mental Health