This sectoral brief is tailored specifically to ministries of labour and employment. It expands upon the following key points regarding what this sector needs to know about NCDs:

• Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) decrease the labour force, reduce productivity and reduce economic growth.
• Preventing NCDs makes economic sense.
• Tackling NCDs will not hurt businesses or lead to overall job loss – quite the opposite.
• Ministries of labour and employment must recognize that the right to health is a fundamental responsibility of government and work with employers and other partners to tackle NCDs.
• Ministries of labour and employment have specific responsibilities when it comes to tobacco production.