We envision a future where no one dies prematurely from a treatable, preventable disease and all people living with or at risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have access to appropriate, quality, and affordable prevention, treatments and care.

To that end, we commit to helping achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular, the target to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by one-third by 2030. NCDs, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and mental health disorders are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Unless action is taken to reverse the trend, this burden is expected to rise significantly in developing countries in the coming decades.

Responding to the call of world leaders for the private sector to apply creativity and innovation to solve sustainable development challenges in the Sustainable Development Goals, we understand that the private sector, including the innovative health care and pharmaceutical industry has an important role to play in achieving the NCD goal. We can help improve the prevention, care and treatment of NCDs through our medicines and vaccines. With resources and capabilities we stand ready to work together toward our goal.

But, we cannot do this alone. Working together with partners like The World Bank Group, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), civil society, other international organizations and governments we can make measurable and sustainable progress against this rising incidence of NCDs particularly for aging populations in developing countries.

To achieve this, together and individually, we make the following commitments:

•  Targeted pilots to address barriers. With a view to a broader scale-up, we will undertake pilot programs to test ways to improve the treatment of NCDs and strengthen health systems in low and lower-middle income countries. We will partner with the World Bank Group to accelerate access to care, medicines and technologies through sustainable and scalable solutions, with an initial focus on several country pilots supporting primary enablers of quality NCD care, including early screening, diagnosis and basic treatment. The World Bank Group will enhance these pilot programs at a country-level through their ongoing work with the government on financing, regulatory and other barriers to access.

•  Expanded collaboration and partnerships. We will find new ways to address gaps in access, share best practices and advance solutions. As peers – and as competitors – this will not always be easy, but we believe our industry can work as one for the benefit of addressing these diseases. This will mean collaborating systematically and thinking beyond any one organization’s capabilities and initiatives.

•  Seeking strength outside of ourselves. We will partner broadly to understand the full range of access barriers, adding value to current efforts and/or creating new initiatives where needed. We will listen carefully to develop effective partnerships that address access and availability in each of the major NCD areas, building on the individual strengths and capabilities of our partners.

•  Disease specific partnerships. Our initial disease focus will be on cancer. We will join the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)’s C/Can 2025: City Cancer Challenge as a foundational partner to support the development of effective, sustainable cancer care delivery models in select lower income cities. Through this partnership, we will work with other stakeholders to develop solutions at the local level to address disparities in access to cancer medicines and care. Other disease specific partnerships are possible in the future.

•  Rigorous measurement and full transparency. We will work with independent experts at Boston University, the World Bank Group, UICC, and others to evaluate and share what works, what does not and what real-world impact our efforts have on NCDs with ongoing reporting.

Access Accelerated will be guided by what people need, delivered by aligned individual efforts and accelerated by broad dynamic partnerships. Together, we can help people, no matter where they live, to enjoy longer, healthier lives.