After carrying out national analyses on the state of NCDs and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in their countries, three NCD alliances - Mexico Salud-Hable Coalition, Rwanda NCD Alliance and Tanzania NCD Alliance - recently organised high-level national stakeholder meetings to assess the results. 

Government representatives, policy makers, civil society representatives, people living with NCDs and other national actors came together to discuss the main challenges and policy gaps identified for addressing NCDs and UHC in the three countries, as well as the key areas for action. Finally, concrete policy recommendations were presented, providing a roadmap on how to advance torwards fulfilling UHC for NCDs.   

The Mexico Salud-Hable Coalition highlighted the need for greater collaboration between civil society and health institutions to address NCDs, and that health inequalities must be translated into possibilities for NCD prevention and treatment. 

In Rwanda, participants called for a high-level multi-sectoral coordination mechanism, a national advisory and technical working group for NCDs, and increased taxation of tobacco, alcohol and sugar sweetened drinks. 

In Tanzania, two people shared their personal stories of living with NCDs, and gaps in different NCD and UHC policies were identified. The three alliances will now continue engaging key decision makers and policy makers in their efforts, and will create concrete advocacy plans that will allow them to drive the needed action.   

The situational analyses were conducted with support from the NCD Alliance’s Advocacy Institute NCDs and UHC Accelerator Programme [1], which aims to increase the capacity of established NCD alliances to drive effective in-country NCD and UHC advocacy. The Advocacy Institute NCDs and UHC Accelerator Programme is supported by NCDA’s partnership with The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.