By Herb Riband
Executive Director, Access Accelerated 

Yesterday’s adoption of the Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health by the UN General Assembly marks a defining moment for the global NCD agenda. It reflects years of sustained progress and signals a shared resolve on the priorities that must now guide implementation.

As the year draws to a close on this positive note, I wanted to share reflections on recent milestones achieved by Access Accelerated and our flagship partnership initiative, the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN). Together, this work demonstrates how global commitments are being translated into locally led solutions—supporting countries and partners as they move from ambition to action on the ground.

FAN Fund’s First Seed Grants
December marked a meaningful step forward for FAN with the launch of the FAN Fund’s inaugural seed grants. This type of catalytic investment aims to help countries advance efforts to improve health financing for NCDs and kick-start new approaches with potential for broader impact. In Kenya, FAN funding will support development of an economic modelling framework to provide country leaders with compelling local evidence on the value of long-term investment in NCDs. This project reflects urgent national priorities and a commitment to sustainable solutions that are innovative, catalytic, and timely.

Access Accelerated’s Partnership Model in the Spotlight  
Last month, we also celebrated FAN’s first anniversary. The progress over the past year highlights the strength of our partnership-driven model. FAN was created through a technical partnership between Access Accelerated and the World Bank, in collaboration with Results for Development (R4D) and the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP). A recent article in Globalization and Health highlights Access Accelerated’s work with City Cancer Challenge, NCD Alliance, PATH, the World Bank, and the World Heart Federation, as an innovative example of effective multisectoral collaboration in global health. This approach continues to guide FAN’s direction and shape its impact.  I am grateful for the support of all FAN partners.

Partnering for Access, Sustainability, and Impact

Our collaborative approach continues to guide efforts to expand access to quality NCD care. Today marked a significant milestone in Access Accelerated’s long-standing partnership with PATH, with the official handover of our jointly-developed NCD Navigator digital information system to the Ghana Health Service. By investing in the sustainable implementation of this platform, we are ensuring the tool reaches more stakeholders and contributes to more equitable NCD services across the country.

This partnership has reinforced our engagement with the Coalition for Access to NCD Medicines & Products, which is driven by PATH and its members. In particular, over the past year the Coalition’s work on health financing has complemented FAN’s efforts and we have been proud to collaborate on side events this year during the World Health Assembly in Geneva and UN General Assembly in New York. I am honored to share that I have recently been elected Chair of the Coalition’s Steering Committee and look forward to working alongside the diverse collection of Coalition members to help countries strengthen NCD investments and improve health outcomes.

Looking Ahead, Together   
It has been a demanding year for global health. Aid cuts have put pressure on low- and middle-income countries that are already navigating rising NCD burdens as well as other economic, environmental, and political challenges. In a new Devex op-ed co-authored by Access Accelerated as part of the Accelerating Action series, we outlined steps the global health and NCD communities can take to ensure progress by strengthening country responses, emphasizing integrated, people-centered strategies, and stronger cross-sector cooperation.

In the New Year, we will mark another important point in FAN’s evolution by expanding our geographic footprint and extending our reach, so stay tuned for more news to come. Alongside this growth, we remain committed to helping countries close financing gaps for NCDs, strengthen FAN’s global and regional communities, and deepening the partnerships that make this work possible.

Ensuring access to quality care for people living with and at risk of developing NCDs is a shared priority.  We could not achieve this without the much-appreciated support of the members of Access Accelerated: Bristol Myers Squibb, Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Lilly, Menarini, Novo Nordisk, Ono Pharma, Takeda and UCB, as well as IFPMA.

Thank you for your continuing collaboration. We look forward to the work ahead.