Media release

From: George Institute for Global Health

Rare window to tackle deadly chronic disease epidemic is closing

Australian Government urged to use voice to achieve strong outcome at UN High Level Meeting

More than 40 leading public health organisations and individuals* are urging the Australian Government to use its influence to push for an ambitious global response to address growing rates of chronic, often preventable diseases including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and poor mental health, at the first United Nations meeting to be held on the issue in seven years.

The Political Declaration released at the upcoming United Nations High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health on 25 September in New York will directly influence national, regional and international health priorities for years to come. Continuous attention and investment are also required after the meeting to ensure commitments are met and solutions implemented.

The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) weighs heaviest on those with fewest resources. More than three-quarters of deaths from NCDs are in low- and middle-income countries; 17 million of these are in people younger than 70 years old.¹ In high-income countries, the burden of NCDs is greatest in already underserved communities.²

While public health groups have been working hard in the face of lobbying from well-funded unhealthy industries to ensure the draft Political Declaration retains clear targets and undertakings, Member States must increase their commitment to action on NCDs and mental health beyond the meeting, to avert dire economic and social consequences.

“The growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases presents a health crisis for all countries, including our own, accounting for more than 74 per cent of all deaths worldwide and 90 per cent of deaths in Australia,”^1,3 said Professor Anushka Patel, CEO of The George Institute for Global Health and Scientia Professor at UNSW Sydney. “In Australia, lost labour force participation from chronic diseases is projected to cost AU$67.7 billion by 2030, representing 459,000 lost productive life years. Investing in preventing and managing chronic diseases is essential to improving productivity and reducing the impact on the economy.”⁴

In a joint letter, The George Institute for Global Health, and 43 other organisations are calling on the Australian Government to:

1. Strengthen the NCD response in Australia via dedicated funding to implement chronic disease strategies such as the National Preventive Health Strategy, include chronic disease in the remit of the Australian Centre for Disease Control, and enhance its partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, NGOs, health consumer groups and community groups.
2. Invest in systems that improve health in our region by directing more development assistance to NCDs through DFAT’s Partnerships for a Healthy Region program. Investments should integrate NCDs and mental health into regional and local programs addressing climate change, food security, health equity, trade, and gender equality.
3. Continue to show global leadership on NCDs and mental health, by committing to strong targets and implementing effective actions on them, including implementing taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages.

“We welcome the Government’s recent announcement of AU$266 million to go to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. But there is more to be done, and it would be good to see Australia continue to play its part in addressing the global health challenges of NCDs and mental health,” said Hayley Jones, Director, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, and Co-Chair of the Australian Network of WHO Collaborating Centres.

“What happens after the meeting is also critical. It’s imperative that we have sustained political momentum beyond September both to ensure the health and wellbeing of Australians, and to support countries in our region and beyond to prevent NCDs, and ensure those affected by them can access treatment and care.

“More than 15 years after the first UN high level meeting, NCDs are still causing three-quarters of global deaths. We can change this by committing to invest in measures that have proven effective in both Australia and beyond, like health taxes and public health laws. By implementing them widely, we could save millions of lives,” Ms Jones said.

Only 1 to 2 per cent of development assistance is currently allocated to addressing prevention and treatment of NCDs around the world.⁵ The cost of chronic disease worldwide will reach an estimated US$47 trillion by 2030.⁶ The World Health Organization estimates that investing an additional US$0.84 per person per year in NCD interventions in low- and lower-middle income countries will result in US$230 billion in economic gains – or US$7 return for every dollar spent.⁷

“We have a choice: We can neglect to leverage the opportunity presented by this UN meeting and continue to see preventable chronic illness further increase, or we can seize this moment as a springboard for progress to improve health for all,” said Lucy Westerman, specialist in NCDs at Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne.

Delegates from UN Member Countries at this significant meeting will vote on a concerted strategy, which must be sufficiently powerful to ensure chronic disease is prioritised by governments everywhere in the next 10 years, Professor Patel noted.

“Continued inaction to prevent and control NCDs perpetuates intergenerational cycles of disease and poverty, worsening inequities within and between nations. Conversely, directing efforts and funds to NCDs can break these cycles – very often there are systemic or political barriers rather than a lack of knowledge or technical skills that are the problem,” she said.

“We know what works - interventions that engage communities in developing the healthcare they actually need, integrating NCD-dedicated prevention and care into health care systems, and mobilising funding partnerships to deliver projects and we stand ready to support governments at this defining moment to deliver a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.”

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* Signatories: Alcohol and Drug Foundation, Alcohol Change Australia, Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity, Australian Council on Smoking and Health, Australian Health Promotion Association, Australian Global Health Alliance, Black Dog Institute, Breast Cancer Network Australia, CLAN Child Health, Cancer Council Australia, Cancer Council Victoria, Cancer Council Queensland, Emerge Australia, Food for Health Alliance, Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), Deakin University, Heart Foundation, Leeder Centre for Health Policy, Economics and Data, Lung Foundation, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, Movember, Oral Health Association of Australia, Neurological Alliance of Australia, Prevention Partnership Centre, Sax Institute, Public Health Association of Australia, Quit, Tobacco Free Portfolios, University of Queensland School of Public Health, UNSW Sydney, WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development at the University of Technology Sydney, and Victor Chang Institute.

Case studies of NCD solutions are available.

The George Institute for Global Health

The George Institute for Global Health is an independent medical research institute aiming to improve the health of millions of people worldwide by generating effective, evidence-based, and affordable solutions to the world’s biggest health challenges. Established in Sydney, with major centres in China, India, and the UK, it has projects in more than 45 countries and affiliations with world-class universities. In 2018, The George Institute was ranked the number-one independent research institute in Australia by Times Higher Education.

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References:

1. World Health Organization. Noncommunicable diseases. Accessed September 2025
2. Lago-Peñas S, Rivera B, Cantarero D, Casal B, Pascual M, Blázquez-Fernández C, Reyes F. The impact of socioeconomic position on non-communicable diseases: what do we know about it? Perspect Public Health. 2021 May;141(3):158-176. doi: 10.1177/1757913920914952. Epub 2020 May 24. PMID: 32449467
3. World Health Organization. Australia data. Accessed September 2025
4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2024) Health expenditure Australia 2022–23. AIHW. Australian Government. Accessed September 2025
5. Collins TE, Karapici A, Berlina D. Investing in Addressing NCDs and Mental Health Conditions: a Political Choice. Annals of Global Health [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Jul 17];91(1)
6. Hacker K. The Burden of Chronic Disease. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes. 2024 Feb 1;8(1):112–9
7. NCD Alliance. Invest to protect NCD financing as the foundation for healthy societies and economies. 2022. Accessed September 2025