The Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, GCM/NCD, established in 2014, is the first and only WHO instrument aimed at facilitating multistakeholder engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration to prevent and control NCDs. It convenes and connects diverse stakeholders comprising all WHO Member States, UN Organizations, and non-State actors, including relevant private sector entities, to address its five functions.
Multisectoral action is central to the Sustainable Development Goals agenda because of the range of determinants impacting people’s health, such as social, environmental and commercial determinants. Since most of these determinants lie outside the health sector, countries can only work towards the health SDGs by engaging sectors beyond health and adopting a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach.
Three United Nations General Assembly High-level Meetings on the Prevention and Control of NCDs in 2011, 2014 and 2018 reiterated the importance of shared responsibility of all stakeholders across sectors in creating an environment conducive to preventing and controlling NCDs.
Multisectoral action is also the pathway via which WHO, through the GCM/NCD, will work with Member States and other partners to scale up efforts to implement the high-impact and cost-effective measures needed to tackle NCDs. The relevance of and opportunities for the GCM/NCD were highlighted in recent high-level political and governance documents, such as the Montevideo Roadmap 2018-2030 on NCDs, WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work 2019–2023 and the Political Declaration of 2018 UNGA 3rd High-level Meeting on NCDs.
Learn more about the GCM/NCD and view our impact and achievements over the last five years here.