Co-hosted by the Consulate General of Denmark in New York, Brazil Ministry of Health, Access Accelerated, the Coalition for Access to NCD Medicines & Products, the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA), Novo Nordisk, and PATH

Together with a coalition of partners, Access Accelerated co-hosted a UNGA side event centered on a critical question: how can political commitments on NCDs and mental health be translated into access and action?

In her keynote, Monique Vledder of the World Bank highlighted that NCDs are central to sustainable financing and development, and announced $2.6 billion in World Bank support to countries for NCDs and mental health over the past year, with more support planned.

Herb Riband, Executive Director of Access Accelerated, shared insights from the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN), illustrating how countries are strengthening health financing for NCDs by mobilizing resources through strong investment cases, shared learning,  and allocating resources to achieve maximum impact.

Several bold country commitments were announced during the session: the Democratic Republic of Congo pledged to ensure the integration of NCDs and mental health into primary health care, supported through health taxes and other financing mechanisms; Kenya committed to integrate NCD services into its national health insurance and pharmacy benefit schemes; and Tanzania and Indonesia reported on plans to scale up access and coverage for NCD prevention and care.

In her closing remarks, Elin Jäger of Novo Nordisk reflected that despite progress, barriers remain – making collective, cross-sector action essential to advance health equity and ensure sustainable access for all.

Watch the full discussion