The theme of the 2020 Global Week for Action on NCDs (7-13 September 2020) was announced during the final day of the third Global NCD Alliance Forum held in Sharjah, UAE.

The annual Global Week for Action on NCDs campaign, first observed in 2018 ahead of the third UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs under the slogan of ENOUGH. and called for Our Health. Our Right. Right Now.

The Global Week for Action on NCDs campaign is now shifting gears.

From 2020 onwards, the Global Week for Action on NCDs will draw from the outrage, energy, inspiration, and determination generated since its first year, and add an extra dose of action-oriented optimism. As the campaign grows, the branding and website are being refreshed to reflect the evolution and future of the campaign.

Despite our collective efforts, the pace of progress to 2025 is still too slow – too many people continue to confront NCDs and die avoidably. Ahead of the Forum this year, the NCD Alliance consulted the global NCD civil society network to identify the biggest gaps to progress on NCDs; The top five gaps identified are detailed in the discussion paper Bridging the Gap; from global promises to local progress and accompanying “NCD Civil Society Compass” launched during the Forum – the gaps are accountability, investment, leadership, community engagement and care.

Over the next five years, the refreshed Global Week for Action on NCDs campaign will focus on action to bridge these gaps, with each year dedicated to and highlighting each of the five gaps from now until the fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025.

During the closing plenary of the Forum, Katie Dain, CEO NCD Alliance, announced the theme of the 2020 Global Week for Action on NCDs saying, “One of our pledges to take things forward from the Forum is to incorporate the lessons, energy the inspiration that we have witnessed from global to national and take forward our efforts on the civil society compass into our annual Global Week for Action for NCDs… we plan to lift these five big gaps into the Global Week for Action each year. We’re pleased to announce that the theme for 2020 will focus on accountability.”

Recognising the power and potential of the NCD movement, Dain continued:

“The golden thread that weaves across all of the gaps is the power of civil society and alliances at national, regional and global levels… and the power of collaboration across sectors. We all have different expertise and roles, and we need to work together.”

“We need to galvanise urgency, outrage, passion we have seen throughout the Forum… We have got the voices, the organisations, the expertise to do that… so let’s up the ante and say ‘let’s get on with it’.’’

A powerful music video by Ghanian rapper, songwriter and Our Views, Our Voices advocate, Chris K resounded through the Forum’s closing, his voice and words capturing the essence of the campaign to date – watch it here. We look forward to more creative ways of voices being raised as the movement gains greater momentum.

The movement is primed and mobilised to push for progress. We’re ready to #ActOnNCDs – Are you in?

Stay tuned for more updates and resources very soon!