The Missing Pieces: The Network Publishes a Statement on the Global NCD Agenda

Fourteen-year-old Sara shares a lighthearted moment with her six-year-old sister, Linda, after their visit to the PEN-Plus clinic in Nhamatanda, Mozambique, where they receive treatment for sickle cell disease.

The NCDI Poverty Network recently published a position statement that identifies the crucial pieces—and populations—missing from the global NCD agenda.

Network leaders drafted the statement to inform policy discussions in the lead-up to the Fourth United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, to be held in September.

The statement provides policy recommendations aimed at ensuring access to healthcare for vulnerable populations. These recommendations fall under three positions centered on bridging the deadly gap in the global agenda for children, adolescents, and young adults living with severe noncommunicable diseases in low- and lower-middle-income countries; pursuing integrated intervention models; and creating targeted financing mechanisms.

The document, titled “The Missing Pieces: Addressing Severe Noncommunicable Diseases Among the Poorest Billion,” also offers specific calls to action that align with the goals and methods detailed in the Network’s PEN-Plus Partnership Strategic Plan (2025–2028).

“In the months leading up to the High-Level Meeting,” said Dr. Neil Gupta, the Network’s senior director of policy, “we plan to use this statement to inspire discussion on major gaps in the global NCD agenda. The statement will also guide our advocacy efforts and our collaborations with United Nations delegations, governments, nongovernmental organizations, funders, people living with severe NCDs, and other key stakeholders.”

Dr. Gupta added that he hopes the Network’s partners will find the statement helpful in their own advocacy efforts. Many of those partners provided their own contributions to the statement during an open comment period held earlier this year.

The full position statement and a one-page summary are both available as downloadable PDFs; the full statement is also available as a flipbook.