More than five years have passed since the 2011 United Nations high-level meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs). NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease are a leading cause of mortality worldwide, responsible for more than 30 million deaths annually. These diseases alone place an enormous burden on health systems, representing $2 trillion a year in health costs, and the projected toll in lost economic output by 2030 is a staggering $47 trillion. Beyond the impacts on economic output, NCDs will continue to deepen poverty and impede our collective ability to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
