NCDI Poverty Network launched at global event

The NCDI Poverty Network was formally launched on 7 December 2020 at a global virtual event organized by the Lancet NCDI Poverty Commission and representatives of national NCDI Poverty Commissions in 15 low- and lower-middle-income countries with large populations of people living in extreme poverty. Since they were established with support from the Lancet NCDI Poverty Commission, starting in 2016, these National Commissions have established evidence-based and locally-driven processes to assess the burden of NCDIs among the poorest and to identify and advocate for effective evidence-based policies and integrated health service delivery solutions. Many commissions have published and widely disseminated their findings and recommendations.

With the support of the Lancet NCDI Poverty Commission, the NCDI Poverty Network will provide a platform for global, regional, national, and local leaders to continue shared research, policy, service delivery, and financing initiatives. The NCDI Poverty Network aims to prevent the death and suffering of people doubly afflicted by extreme poverty and NCDIs by elevating the emerging NCDI Poverty movement and developing accountability mechanisms to ensure that service delivery for NCDIs is a key component of UHC.

The NCDI Poverty Network’s draft charter sets out three key objectives:

• To promote technical cooperation and coordination among National NCDI Poverty Commissions and stakeholders dedicated to addressing NCDIs related to poverty;
• To provide a platform for research and capacity-building for understanding and addressing NCDIs related to poverty; and
• To catalyze funding to support health sector interventions for NCDIs affecting children and young adults in LLMICs.