HRIDAY-HIA-SEAR NCDA-NCDA MSH Statement

Statement for UN Multistakeholder Hearing – Panel 2 Delivered on behalf of HRIDAY, the Healthy India Alliance (India NCD Alliance), South-East Asia Regional NCD Alliance, and Global NCD Alliance
We, HRIDAY, the Healthy India Alliance (India NCD Alliance), the South-East Asia Regional NCD Alliance and the Global NCD Alliance, come together to deliver an urgent and united call to action ahead of the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health. People living with NCDs, mental health conditions, and their caregivers must no longer be left behind.

We urge Member States to:

1. Mobilise sustainable investment to promote health by integrating NCD and mental health services in primary health care and universal health coverage packages. Prioritise equity, inclusivity, and prevention by reaching the most marginalised first including migrant populations and measure return on investment not only in economic terms but in human dignity and lives saved.
2. Operationalise meaningful community engagement to ensure meaningful involvement of people with lived experiences and caregivers in health research, programmes, and governance—from village-level health committees to national, regional and global policy platforms. Investing in their leadership and capacity will ensure policies and programmes are grounded in real-world experience and meet the needs of those most affected.
3. Co-develop models of empathic, community-led and person-centered care that empower lived experience champions and health workers through co-designed, culturally resonant training and capacity-building initiatives, enabling systems to be inclusive, responsive, and resilient.
4. Strengthen data and accountability systems to disaggregate NCD and mental health indicators by age, gender, and geography, ensuring monitoring systems track both outcomes and equity. Embed inclusive, transparent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, co-led by civil society and people with lived experiences, into national health governance structures.
5. Promote health where people live, learn, and work by implementing evidence-based health promotion in schools, health systems, and community settings. Empower lived experience champions and youth leaders to drive change locally and regionally.

This is a defining opportunity to shift from promises to purposeful action. We must lead with empathy, grounded in the lived realities of communities. By investing in inclusive, co-created, and accountable systems, we can build a future where NCD prevention and care are not only effective—but equitable and just.
The time to lead is now—together, for inclusive, people-centered health systems across our region and beyond.