NCD Alliance
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| NCD Alliance | |
|---|---|
| Name | NCD Alliance |
| Formation | 2009 |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Region served | Global |
NCD Alliance is an international civil society network that coordinates efforts to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It convenes national, regional, and global partners across health and development sectors to influence policy at forums such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations General Assembly, and the World Economic Forum. The alliance engages with stakeholders including patient groups, professional societies, and philanthropic organizations to advance the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Sustainable Development Goals, and global NCD targets.
History
The organization emerged from coalitions active during the lead-up to the 2011 UN Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases and was formally established following regional consultations involving actors like the World Health Organization, World Heart Federation, International Diabetes Federation, Union for International Cancer Control, and national NGOs. Early milestones include coordinated advocacy around the 2010 UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on NCDs, alignment with the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013–2020, and participation in subsequent high-level meetings such as the 2014 UN Economic and Social Council reviews and the 2018 UN High-level Meeting on Tuberculosis dialogues. Founding partners and member organizations from regions covered by the African Union, European Commission, Pan American Health Organization, and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation shaped its initial strategic priorities.
Organization and Governance
The network operates through a secretariat based in Geneva and a board comprised of representatives from civil society organizations, patient advocacy groups, and professional associations such as the World Medical Association and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Its governance structures include steering committees, regional hubs covering Africa, Americas, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific, and issue-specific working groups that engage with institutions like the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund on policy intersections. Leadership transitions have featured directors and chairs with backgrounds in public health, global policy, and philanthropy linked to organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Advocacy and Campaigns
Advocacy priorities have targeted risk factors addressed in instruments such as the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, including tobacco taxation, salt reduction, harmful use of alcohol policies referenced in Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, and promotion of healthy diets aligning with the Codex Alimentarius Commission standards. Campaigns have coordinated civil society input for UN processes including the Sustainable Development Goals negotiations and engaged with the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The alliance has mobilized coalitions for national NCD plans in countries interacting with entities like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and multilateral development banks such as the World Bank.
Programs and Partnerships
Programmatic work spans capacity building, technical assistance, and knowledge exchange delivered in partnership with academic institutions such as Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and regional bodies like the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Initiatives include multi-stakeholder platforms that link patient networks like the International Alliance of Patients' Organizations with professional societies including the American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology. Strategic partnerships have extended to philanthropic entities such as Wellcome Trust and corporate engagement frameworks with oversight from standards bodies like ISO where relevant to product labelling and supply chain transparency.
Funding and Financials
Funding sources combine grants from philanthropic foundations, project-specific contributions from multilateral organizations, and donations from member organizations. Major funders historically include foundations similar to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, programmatic support from the World Health Organization and in-kind contributions from academic partners like Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Financial reporting and audits follow international nonprofit norms and intersect with donor requirements from institutions such as the European Commission and bilateral agencies like USAID and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Impact and Criticism
The alliance has been credited with elevating NCDs on agendas across the United Nations, influencing national NCD strategies in countries that engage with regional commissions and contributing to global policy instruments like the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013–2020. Critics, including some public health scholars and advocacy groups, have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest when engaging private sector actors associated with the food industry and alcohol industry, and about the efficacy of voluntary commitments versus binding regulatory measures referenced in debates around the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Debates persist in academic forums such as journals linked to The Lancet and policy fora of the World Health Assembly regarding the balance between multi-stakeholder engagement and protection of policymaking from undue influence.