Bridging the NCD Investment Gap

Our Goal

Mobilising smart and sustainable investments for NCDs

We focus on proven financing solutions—developing investment cases, improving domestic resources and fiscal policies, targeting development assistance, and integrating NCDs into global health and financing mechanisms to help unlock long-term, sustainable funding.

We also build the capacity of national alliances and civil society organisations to lead sustainable financing advocacy in their own contexts.

Despite the growing burden of NCDs, they remain one of the most underfunded areas in global health. Only 1–2% of development assistance for health has gone to NCDs over the past 20 years. Bridging this gap is not just about fairness—it’s a prerequisite for equity, resilience, and sustainable development.

Explore recent highlights of NCDA's financing work

Nurse in caribbean with two women patients chatting

Keeping NCDs high on the global financing agenda

In June 2024, NCDA played a key role in the WHO and World Bank International Dialogue on Sustainable Financing for NCDs and Mental Health—the first major global meeting on NCD financing since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Held in Washington, D.C., the event brought together governments, multilaterals, civil society, and advocates to explore solutions for domestic resource mobilisation, fiscal policies, and development assistance. NCDA helped shape the dialogue through consultations, technical input, and the launch of its Financing Solutions paper.

Country case studies showcased diverse strategies for funding prevention and care through Primary Health Care and Universal Health Coverage reforms. Lived experience advocates, including Charity Muturi and Pierre Cooke, helped centre the discussions on people, not just policies. NCDA’s message was clear: the “how” of financing matters—but the “who” must be at the heart of every decision.

WATCH: Fireside Chat at the 2025 Global NCD Alliance Forum

Jumana Qamruddin from the World Bank and Pierre Cooke from Healthy Caribbean Coalition discuss NCD financing during Plenary 2 of the Global NCD Alliance Forum. This plenary showcases global and national best practice in NCD financing, explores the outcomes of the WHO-World Bank International dialogue on sustainable financing for NCDs and mental health in 2024, and goals for the financing agenda in 2025 and beyond.

Take a deep dive

Policy Brief

Invest to Protect: NCD financing as the foundation for healthy societies and economies

Policy Brief

Staffed, Skilled, Supported and Sustainably Financed

Policy Brief

Better data for better NCD financing: Building momentum for change through the G20

getting fiscal policies right report cover

Policy Brief

Getting Fiscal Policies Right: Lessons and recommendations across NCD risk factors

Policy Brief

Event Highlights – Sustainable Financing for NCDs: Paving a way forward by learning from progress at country level

Policy Brief

Financing Solutions for NCDs and Mental Health

Policy Brief

Paying the Price: A deep dive into the household economic burden of care experienced by people living with NCDs

Supporting civil society to strengthen domestic financing

Global NCDA Forum delegates smiling on stage

Mobilising sustainable NCD funding depends on action at country level. NCDA supports national alliances to build the case for domestic investment, navigate fiscal policy reforms, and engage effectively with ministries of health and finance.

In 2023 and 2024, alliances in Ghana, Mexico, the Philippines and others received targeted support through NCDA’s Advocacy Institute and technical partnerships. These efforts contributed to new tax measures, increased dialogue with government officials, and greater visibility of civil society in NCD financing discussions.

By building local capacity, we’re helping create lasting pathways to fund prevention, care and equity from the ground up.

Diabetes activist looks at an insulin bottle in his hand

Lived experience voices

"Insulin is the sixth most expensive liquid in the world, yet [...] it's not covered under medical insurance in India. My cost of living dramatically increased because I must pay 4,000 rupees (US$53) every month for insulin, which I buy from a private pharmacy. Besides insulin, other supplies including needles, injector pens and continuous glucose monitoring devices cost me 6000 rupees (US$80) per month."

Rohan Arora

NCD Diarist

Read Rohan's NCD Diary

Watch and listen to NCD financing voices and case studies

Building the case for sustainable investments

NCDA has consistently advocated for health taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages—powerful tools that improve health, reduce healthcare costs, and raise public revenue. In 2023, NCDA and UNDP spotlighted the Philippines’ success, where these taxes generated billions for the national health system and helped fund UHC expansion.

NCDA also published Getting Fiscal Policies Right, a report offering lessons across risk factors and highlighting fiscal levers as central to sustainable financing. This work was complemented by NCDA’s support to national alliances like those in Ghana and Mexico on excise tax advocacy.

A health worker uses the mVacciNation mobile app to record vaccination data Mozambique

Financing NCDs requires not just more money—but better data. NCDA’s report Better Data for Better NCD Financing maps public spending on NCDs across G20 countries, flagging critical gaps in transparency and offering clear steps to improve accountability.

This work has become a foundation for advocacy with policymakers and partners pushing for financing targets and efficiency. Better data enables better decisions—and helps make the investment case to finance ministries and funders alike.

Shepherd looking after his flock in Africa

Innovative mechanisms like the Health4Life Fund, spotlighted in NCDA’s 2024 case study, offer promising pathways to unlock funding for NCDs and mental health. As one of two civil society observers to the fund’s steering committee, NCDA helps ensure country-led priorities and accountability stay central.

With pooled contributions from governments, philanthropies and the private sector, the Fund promotes reverse co-financing—leveraging domestic resources and aligning with global funding streams to strengthen integrated health systems.

NCD advocates meet in New York to call on governments to advance care and UHC

NCDA’s 2023 report Paying the Price dives deep into the household economic burden of NCD care, revealing how out-of-pocket costs often push families into or deeper into poverty. These findings strengthened advocacy for financial protection measures at the UN HLM on UHC and in discussions on the Global Fund, PEPFAR, and national health insurance reforms.

Lived experience was a powerful force at every table, from UNGA78 to the Global Dialogue, ensuring that the human cost of inaction was front and centre.

Everybody's Business: our case study series on NCD financing solutions