SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Ministry of Women and Child Development | Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
On 25 September 2025, the UN held its 4th High-Level Meeting (HLM4) on NCDs and mental health to steer action to 2030 and beyond, anchored in SDG 3.4 (–⅓ premature NCD mortality by 2030) and integration of mental health across care. The Secretary-General called NCDs “the world’s biggest killers” (~43 million deaths/year) and urged governments to curb risk factors, finance primary care, and ensure affordable medicines and technologies.
UN agencies are aligning around WHO’s Implementation Roadmap 2023–2030 for the Global NCD Action Plan-prioritizing “Best Buys,” stronger surveillance, and accountability to hit SDG targets.
A key 2025 narrative is the AMR–NCD nexus: drug resistance threatens progress on cancer, diabetes, and CVD; the HLM4 process highlights integrated strategies to safeguard antimicrobials across health systems.
Politically, consensus was strained: the U.S. objected to elements of the draft political declaration, pushing a formal vote rather than adoption by acclamation.
What is AMR? → Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microbes no longer respond to drugs, undermining routine NCD care (e.g., resistant infections after chemotherapy, surgery, or dialysis). It compels integrated NCD + AMR strategies across prevention, prescribing, and surveillance.
Align national NCD programmes with WHO’s Roadmap 2023–2030: scale Best Buys (tobacco/alcohol control, hypertension/diabetes management), strengthen primary care & mental health integration, and build AMR-aware NCD pathways (stewardship, diagnostics, surveillance). This supports Ayushman Bharat goals while tracking SDG 3.4 indicators.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
Can countries operationalize a single NCD-plus playbook that funds primary care, enforces risk-factor policies, and embeds AMR stewardship, without fragmenting programmes or diluting accountability?
Follow the full news here: UN Secretary-General’s Statement | WHO NCD Progress Monitor 2025 PDF | WEF on NCDs & AMR