The Global Week for Action on NCDs, held each year from 2020 to 2025, unites the global community to raise awareness and accelerate action against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The 2024–2025 theme, “Time to Lead,” highlights the limited window to make meaningful progress.
This year, the campaign runs from September 18–25 2025, leading up to the fourth High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on NCDs and mental health on September 25, 2025. The meeting is intended to renew political commitments and speed up progress toward the 2030 NCD targets.
However, experts and civil society warn that the current draft of the UN political declaration is weak, lacking enforceable measures and clear accountability. This raises a key question: How can financing for NCDs and mental health be redefined to ensure fair access, effective interventions, and measurable impact, especially in countries like Bangladesh, where chronic diseases like diabetes, heart and kidney diseases, cancer, and mental health conditions are on the rise?
Why financing matters now
NCDs cause around 41 million deaths each year, with 82% of these occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Bangladesh, the epidemiological transition from infectious to chronic diseases has been swift, driven by urbanization and lifestyle changes.
Hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are now widespread. Diabetes is on the rise in Bangladesh, with projections suggesting that by 2045 approximately 13.7 million people will be living with the disease. Recent national survey data also show that over 40% of adults aged 20-59 report being overweight or obese, and more than one-third have multiple NCD risk factors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor diet.
Yet financing remains fragmented, under-prioritized, and overly reliant on out-of-pocket spending.
Current health budgets often leave NCD programs competing with infectious disease priorities, while international aid for NCDs is negligible compared to funding for HIV, TB, and malaria. Without rethinking financing, the lofty commitments of the UN HLM will remain symbolic rather than transformative. The draft political declaration, set for adoption on September 25, has been criticized for weakening global targets and watering down proven policies.
References to fiscal measures such as tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drink taxes, which both reduce disease and raise domestic revenue, have been softened or removed. Strong directives like “implement” have been replaced with weaker terms such as “consider” and “encourage,” lowering governments’ obligations. Civil society and people living with NCDs are scarcely included, despite years of advocacy for participatory policymaking.
In order to turn political declarations into real change, financing must be reimagined with equity at the centre.
First, governments should adopt progressive domestic revenue measures, such as taxing tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks, and channel these funds directly into NCD and mental health services, generating both revenue and healthier societies.
Second, budgets must be designed to reach those most in need: Rural populations, marginalized groups, and underserved communities, where the burden is greatest but access remains scarce. Equity must be written into the budget, not treated as an afterthought.
Third, accountability cannot be left to governments alone; financing frameworks should mandate civil society participation and monitoring, ensuring that the lived experiences of people most affected drive both transparency and impact.
The urgency of the NCD and mental health crisis is not in doubt. What remains in question is whether financing frameworks will be bold enough to move beyond symbolic declarations.
By implanting progressive taxation, equitable allocation, and participatory accountability, governments can shift from political will to real action.
As the Bangladesh delegation prepares to attend the fourth UN HLM on September 25 2025, it is a critical opportunity for the country to advocate for stronger commitments, ensure inclusive financing, and turn global pledges into measurable progress for its people. The fourth UN HLM is not just another meeting; it is a chance to rethink financing, and to do so effectively this time.
Minhajul Islam, Health and Development Officer; Ummay Farihin Sultana, Senior Officer, Planning and Development Unit; and Md Shamim Hayder Talukder, Chief Executive Officer, Eminence Associates for Social Development.