• Write a letter to your Minister of Health / Foreign Affairs / Finance / Development to discuss your priorities on health and NCDs. Here’s an example of a template letter in ENGLISH or FRENCH or  SPANISH (these links will download a word file directly to your computer) for encouraging governments to engage in the 2019 UN HLM on UHC and key asks. You can also check out our tip sheet for writing.

Who could you contact?

• The Prime Minister or President, key advisers and staff;
• Minister of Foreign Affairs or Development, key advisers and staff;
• Minister of Health, including NCD focal points and key advisers;
• Minister of Finance, key advisers and staff;
• Members of government task forces or committees on the HLM;
• Your country’s UN Missions in New York and Geneva;
• Politicians and policy officials in related ministries required for policy coherence, such as finance, education, environment, trade, transport, agriculture;
• Influencers – such as parliamentarians, civil society leaders, healthcare professionals, donors, business leaders, opinion leaders, and the media.

• Write a Blog or OpEd

The NCD Alliance has a blog and we welcome well written submissions from network members. (Get in touch here). Other members of our network also have blogs and you may be able to submit writing on a theme related to their focus of work.

Alternatively, pitch a story, write a letter to the editor or an op-ed for a local or national paper – and don’t forget to let us know when it’s published.

More momentum building actions

• Link up & cross-fertilise: Do you work in another sector, such as environment, women, men, nutrition, children, ageing, mental health, poverty reduction, education, trade… and can see how your work impacts NCDs and how NCDs impact your field? Show those links through communication and advocacy. Reach out to others to start a conversation on how you might be able to work together to achieve common objectives. Useful resources include Sectoral Briefs & NCDs across the SDGs.
• Calling all between 12-21 years of age! Check out the NCD Child Global Art & Video contest underway to visually highlight the importance of noncommunicable disease prevention and control for young people and their communities. The theme for the contest is “Health For Youth = Health For All” in recognition of World Health Day.  Artists between the ages of 12 and 21 are invited to submit original drawings, paintings, or videos via electronic submission. First place winners in each category will be invited to travel to New York for an awards ceremony during the United Nations General Assembly meetings in September 2018.
• Promote the ENOUGH campaign in your country. Visual resources are available for you to use in several languages, as are campaign priorities, and we can help you with template press releases. See the user guidelines.
• Organise or join an NCDFREE Feast of Ideas event. Sign up at ncdfree.org for updates.
• Encourage thought leaders, influencers, and decision makers in your community to consider becoming NCD champions. If you are interested in becoming a champion or making a nomination, please contact us!
• Record a video message and share via social media. Tell the world how NCDs have impacted you and why world leaders must take action now. ‘Vox pop’ interviews are typically succinct, pertinent and powerful, ideally 1-2 minutes maximum. Some prompt questions include: “When it comes to NCDs, I/we have had enough of ____”, and “The 2018 UN HLM on NCDs is a crucial opportunity for/to _____”. Remember to refer to the UN HLM on NCDs, and try to use the word ‘enough’. It can be shared on YouTube, Twitter or Facebook. Contact us if you would like us to consider sharing through NCDA and network channels. If you have some video producing skills, try adding the ENOUGH logo.
• Keep us posted! Add news, events, achievements to the map of impact (coming soon!) or email us.
• Share intelligence, achievements and feedback with the NCD Alliance on your discussions with your government on the UN HLM on NCDs. Contact the NCDA.
• Need more ideas? Check out the pages below: