Ncd Financing To Increase Equity And Achieve Universal Health Coverage (uhc) – The Time To Act Is Now

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including mental health, are being left behind in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda and are driving inequalities. Globally, 74% of all deaths are attributable to NCDs, and 86% of premature deaths (between the ages of 30 – 70) occur in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Mental disorders are the leading contributor to the global burden of years lived with disability and pandemics (e.g. COVID-19) and climate change are contributing to mental health vulnerability worldwide. There is a strong and positive association between low-income, socioeconomic, and educational status and NCDs. Moreover, millions of people living with NCDs are being pushed into poverty because of structural weaknesses in health systems and the high costs of care. In the 2023 UN Political Declaration on UHC, Member States recognized that the realization of UHC is intricately linked to NCDs, along with the role of Primary Health Care (PHC) in lowering the cost burden. The G20 countries have consistently advocated for UHC and PHC as powerful policy tools for advancing health equity and we have the tools to integrate them. However, within a constrained fiscal space, multiple pressing country priorities, fragmented NCD data, inconsistent tracking, and pre-existing vertical programmes, their full value is not being realized. This policy brief highlights the connections between fiscally sustainable UHC, the role of prevention and health promotion at the PHC level, and the role of digitalization in advancing these approaches. G20 countries are experimenting with innovative approaches to scaling NCD interventions to provide cost-effective services for all. They should leverage their financial and technological resources to support equity-based investments for NCD prevention and care in PHC settings.