Reframing the NCD agenda: a matter of justice and equity

Abstract

The international development community has never taken non-communicable diseases (NCDs) seriously. Seen largely as a challenge for high-income nations, NCDs and their community of advocates have met with, at best, warm words and, more commonly, indifference. There have been moments for optimism. The landmark 2005 WHO report, Preventing Chronic Diseases: a Vital Investment;1 the 2011 Political Declaration on NCDs;2 and the inclusion of NCDs in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2016 (SDG 3.4: by 2030, reduce premature mortality from NCDs by a third and promote mental health and wellbeing).