A first look at the 4th Global NCDA Forum — spotlighting leadership and fostering collective action
23rd April 2024
Toyyib Abdulkareem, NCDA Senior Policy and Campaigns Officer speaking at WHA76
The countdown to the 4th Global NCD Alliance Forum has begun. We are excited to announce that NCDA's flagship convening event will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, on 20-22 October 2024, and will unite the NCD movement to promote knowledge exchange, share good practice and strengthen capacity to advocate for the prevention and control of NCDs.
In 2024, the Global NCD Alliance Forum is organised under the theme ‘Leadership on NCDs towards 2025 & beyond’, bringing together 650 delegates from around the world to strategize, coordinate and unite ahead of next year’s UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs.
This year’s Forum is strategically timed. It will lead us along a clear path to the 4th UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on NCDs taking place in New York in 2025. It is not by chance that Leadership on NCDs towards 2025 & beyond is the theme for the Forum, as strong leadership at every level is crucial to accelerate action on NCDs. This Forum will provide the platform for the global NCD movement to strategise, coordinate, and unite ahead of the UN HLM, to ensure the meeting results in meaningful change for people at risk of and living with NCDs.
This October, we will gather in Rwanda for the first time to spotlight the African continent as one of the global epicentres of the NCD epidemic. By 2030, NCDs are expected to surpass HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, and maternal deaths as the main cause of death in the region.
People in this region are being impacted by NCDs at younger ages than in other parts of the world and essential care for people living with NCDs remains out of reach for millions. Sustained action on NCDs across the region is essential, and the Forum will aim to contribute to this.
Rwanda is already a beacon of progress on health, including NCDs. The host country of the Forum is a trailblazer in reforming Universal Health Coverage, implementing its NCD strategy 2020-2025 with a strong multi stakeholder approach, decentralising integrated NCD care to health facilities and involving communities. Hosting the Forum in Rwanda is a great opportunity to promote good practices and leadership on NCDs, as well as building momentum regionwide.
At the heart of the Forum and speeding up the NCD response is the role of civil society, building demand and driving change. We look forward to a vibrant and impactful event.
Find out more about the Forum on the event's website where you will be able to follow all related updates.
The NCD Alliance wishes to thank The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust for their partnership to make the 4th Global NCD Alliance Forum a reality. The Forum is co-hosted by the Rwanda NCD Alliance, in partnership with the Rwanda Ministry of Health and the Rwanda Biomedical Center, to whom we extend our deepest gratitude.