SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | NITI Aayog | Ministry of Finance | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
UN Inter-Agency Task Force and UNDP report, Realizing the Return: Insights from a Decade of Investment Cases on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health mentions that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions account for 75% of global deaths and impose a chronic economic burden on nations. Released in January 2026, this comprehensive analysis of investment cases from over 60 countries highlights that NCDs alone cost economies an average of 4.4% of GDP due to premature mortality and productivity losses. The report emphasizes a shift from treating health as a social cost to recognizing it as a primary investment in sustainable development.
Economic Returns and Fiscal Tools The report provides high-resolution data on the cost-effectiveness of prevention and early intervention:
High ROI Packages: Salt reduction measures deliver an average Return on Investment (ROI) of 31:1, while tobacco control measures achieve an average ROI of 9:1.
Mental Health Dividends: Early interventions for depression and common mental health conditions yield ROIs of up to 10:1 by preserving workforce productivity.
Health Taxes: Revenue-generating tools like taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks are identified as critical for reducing consumption while funding health equity.
Environmental Synergy: Addressing ambient air pollution (AAP) is highlighted as a cross-sectoral priority, with the economic toll of pollution in Indian cities like Amritsar and Gurugram estimated at $11.3 million.
What are “Investment Cases” in the context of NCD and mental health governance? An investment case is a data-driven advocacy tool that quantifies the economic and social costs of specific health conditions against the cost of implementing a set of evidence-based interventions. In the context of NCDs and mental health, these cases use economic modeling to demonstrate the “cost of inaction” to finance ministries and heads of state. By calculating the expected Return on Investment (ROI) in terms of GDP growth and averted healthcare spending, an investment case transforms health priorities into a formal economic rationale for multi-sectoral budget allocation and policy reform.
Policy Relevance
The report provides a strategic blueprint for integrating India’s NCD management with its broader fiscal and climate goals. For India, quantifying the ROI of salt reduction and tobacco control offers a pathway to reduce the massive Out-of-Pocket (OOP) spending that currently drives millions into poverty annually.
Strategic Impact:
Institutionalizing Fiscal Health: India can leverage the 4.4% GDP burden figure to move NCD funding from “programmatic grants” to a core pillar of the National Financing Framework, ensuring sustainable resources for primary health care (PHC).
Bridging Health and Climate Action: By linking the $11.3 million pollution toll in urban centers to NCD prevention, India can align its National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) with health outcomes to unlock green financing.
Scaling Mental Health Access: Using the 10:1 ROI data, the government can rationalize the expansion of the Tele-MANAS initiative into a comprehensive occupational health program to preserve industrial productivity.
Leading South-South Cooperation: India can utilize platforms like the India-UN Development Partnership Fund to share its successful “Health and Wellness Centre” model as a scalable solution for NCD integration in other developing nations.
Follow the full report here: Realizing the Return: NCD Investment Insights