The world is facing a cascade of global crises. Among them is the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which is often not only overshadowed but exacerbated by other global challenges. Yet the reality is that NCDs pose a serious and growing threat to economies, health systems and health equity, particularly in LMICs, where people are twice as likely to die from these conditions.

Many governments have stepped up, recognizing the threat of NCDs to social and economic advancement and have made important progress. However, global action and funding have fallen short of what will be needed to meet the UN SDGs. Every investment matters, but these times call for even more sustained, coordinated collective action designed to strengthen health systems and support people living with NCDs.

That’s why Access Accelerated was founded on the belief that collective action will enable all of us to go further in achieving the SDG target of reducing the NCD burden in LMICs. As strategic partners of Access Accelerated over these past six years — City Cancer Challenge, NCD Alliance, PATH, the World Bank, and the World Heart Federation—we have leveraged decades of experience in NCDs to prioritize locally-owned, scalable solutions that allow us to realize our shared health goals.

Since 2017, we have worked in a spirit of proactive partnership, mutual trust, and continuous learning to build up health systems with the ultimate goal of achieving universal health coverage (UHC). We believe that meeting the challenges posed by NCDs requires solutions that combine the resources, expertise, and talents of relevant stakeholders, and we are committed to continuing to improve care around the world.

Support from Access Accelerated has facilitated investments that have strengthened the NCD response on many fronts, from global advocacy to patient wellbeing. It has fostered robust initiatives that are scalable and supportive of sustainable change in the countries where we work. Importantly, through flexible funding, our ability to respond to situations and transition in a nimble, timely manner has helped us shift gears amid major changes, such as a global pandemic.

Our collective endeavors have shown us what can be achieved when we all work together: healthcare policy can be advanced, the health of those affected by NCDs can be improved, and unnecessary deaths can be prevented. Through its support, Access Accelerated has built momentum that we hope will continue to highlight the power of investments in strengthening health systems and locally-owned initiatives. Together with countries and local stakeholders, we will continue to fight to improve the lives of people living with NCDs as we work toward 2030.