Maximizing impact on non-
communicable diseases and mental
health

The Political Declaration on NCDs and mental health agreed by governments this September is an opportunity to reimagine our response to these diseases.

By Dr David Reddy, Director General of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations

Non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, kill almost 44 million people each year, equivalent to 75% of global deaths. Of these, 18 million people die from an NCD before the age of 70. By 2050, the WHO estimates that these diseases will account for 86% of the 90 million deaths each year, a 90% increase in absolute numbers since 2019. 

With figures like these, it’s clear that NCDs, despite their ambiguous acronym, affect everyone, either directly or indirectly. NCDs represent a set of common, chronic, and often inter-related diseases. They include cancer, the second leading cause of death, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, often overlooked despite being the fourth leading cause of death. Cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases (CVRM), which include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney diseases, stroke, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, make up almost 50% of NCD deaths. NCDs also include the mental health conditions affecting around one billion people and obesity, which affects a similar number. 

NCDs have a huge impact on our lives. Not only do they cause hardship and heartache for those around us, but they also strain health systems and come at a sizable economic cost. Every year, the price we pay for inaction on tackling NCDs is USD $2 trillion.

A new vision for NCDs prevention and control

Fortunately, medicines and vaccines – from antihypertensives, statins, and inhalers to HPV vaccines, antidepressants, and immune modulators – are transforming how we prevent and treat NCDs around the world, and the next generation of pharmaceutical innovation can bring further progress. But we know this innovation is meaningful only if it reaches the people who need it.

During the United Nations (UN) 4^th High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-Being this September in New York, governments will agree a vision for action on NCDs through 2030 and beyond to 2050. 

Three high-level meetings on NCDs have preceded this one, but progress has been slow. The UN Secretary General’s progress report on NCDs issued earlier this year referred to efforts on NCDs as a policy success but an implementation failure. Just 19 countries out of 194 are on track to reduce premature mortality caused by NCDs by 2030. 

Now is the time for a different tact

In an event we hosted with Foreign Policy in May, Ambassador of Luxembourg Olivier Maes, one of the co-facilitators of the upcoming Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health, underscored the opportunity of this high-level meeting to show that multi-lateralism can deliver. It is also an opportunity to restore trust between stakeholders, including with private sector partners who are critical in NCD prevention, treatment, and management.

The innovative pharmaceutical industry is committed to contributing to action across these diseases, providing incredible expertise when it comes to the research and development of medicines and vaccines and strengthening health systems through capacity building.

For instance, of the more than 12,000 medicines in the pipeline at various stages of clinical development, 75% of these are dedicated to NCDs and mental health, including cell and gene therapies and GLP-1 receptor agonists. Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective interventions we have, and their role is key to help prevent some cancers such as cervical and liver cancer, and improve health outcomes for people living with NCDs who are more at risk from common respiratory infections. Pharmaceutical companies also work in partnership with governments, civil society, implementers, healthcare systems, and institutions all over the world to ensure access to these innovations.

Zeroing in on the Political Declaration

Despite these strides, we are collectively lagging behind and it is our shared responsibility to do better. In the Political Declaration agreed this year, it is critical that governments support continued innovation to unlock the next generation of medicines and vaccines, scale up investment and financing in NCDs and mental health, drive implementation of proven medical interventions in partnership with all relevant stakeholders, and deliver accountability and high standards. 

To maximize impact, we can no longer treat a single disease at a time. Addressing comorbidities shared between NCDs provides benefits to patients and greater efficiency for health systems. That is why our industry recommends a need for a greater focus on CVRM conditions, addressing the interconnectivity of chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity with cardiovascular disease. 

A person-centric approach that maximizes the opportunity afforded by every contact with the health system will help to prevent NCDs, or the worsening of existing NCDs, through a life-course approach to vaccination, screening, and early intervention. Investing in and implementing more preventative measures, especially in resource-constrained environments, will support healthier populations, enhance cost-effectiveness, and reduce health systems strains. 

By working together to jointly leverage our capabilities in NCD prevention and control, we can prove how multi-lateralism delivers, act on NCDs and mental health, and improve health outcomes worldwide.