Background
The International financing dialogue for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health is a collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank Group. The meeting was organized to support the preparatory process leading up to the Fourth High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and Mental Health in 2025.
The objectives of the dialogue were to:
- Define and build consensus among stakeholders on actionable national strategies and policy recommendations that enable and enhance the integration of NCDs and mental health in national health financing systems – and discuss their implications in informing health financing reforms that can sustain adequate, stable, and predictable financing; enable strategic purchasing; and enhance financial protection.
- Discuss and identify approaches on how to integrate prioritized NCDs and mental health responses within national health and financing plans, with the aim of preventing NCDs and mental health conditions as well as providing high-quality, equitable services that are integrated into existing health systems and broader public health ecosystems.
- Inform a forward-looking agenda to guide countries towards accelerating progress and realizing the targets under SDG 3.4 by 2030 – as a key milestone in the process for the Fourth High-level meeting of UNGA on NCDs (2025) and beyond.
A draft of technical background papers and a synthesis of emerging messages were prepared for consultations with Member States, non-State actors, the UN system, WHO and the World Bank.
The international financing dialogue brought together over 150 participants including representatives from selected Member States across different sectors (primarily health and finance), WHO, UN agencies, the World Bank and other multilateral organizations, interested non-State actors, including civil society and people living with NCDs and mental health conditions.
The International financing dialogue took place in-person with livestreaming available for selected sessions.
Agenda
Access the agenda here.
Report
Access the meeting report here.
A video of the meeting will be available on this page soon.
Consultation process
WHO and the World Bank held a hybrid (in-person and virtual) multistakeholder briefing on 15 March 2024, to share an overview of the preparation for the international financing dialogue. An outline of the technical background papers, in preparation of an open web-based consultation on the documents was provided. The multistakeholder briefing comprised non-State actors in official relationships with WHO, UN agencies, and multilateral organizations.
Further web-based multistakeholder consultations took place until 17 June 2024 (CEST) to enable all interested parties to contribute their views (access the consultation page here).