Access Accelerated

In his mid-year update, Herb Riband, Executive Director of Access Accelerated, reflects on progress made and what it will take to bridge the health financing gap for NCDs. Read his full message: accessaccelerated.org/news-and-event… #healthfinancing #HealthForAll #NCDs #GlobalHealth

Africa has no shortage of innovative community-based solutions for preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases (#NCDs). The challenge is ensuring these interventions move beyond donor-funded pilots and become sustainably financed through national health systems. In this blog, @Afidep, the regional hub for the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (#FAN) in Sub-Saharan Africa, shares insights from the 2026 #WorldHealthSummit Regional Meeting in Nairobi on how #evidence, domestic health financing, primary #healthcare and regional learning can help countries scale NCD care and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage. Read for details: shorturl.at/pzPOf @NCDAccess @RwandaNCDA @UncdaUg @eancdalliance @MOH_Kenya @roseoronje

@Afidep, host of the sub-Saharan Africa regional hub for the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN), convened health sector stakeholders from across the region for a #webinar on "From Evidence to Action: Using NCD Investment Cases for Budgeting and Financing Decisions." As African countries face a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (#NCDs) amid constrained fiscal space and declining development assistance, participants highlighted the critical role of NCD investment cases in mobilising domestic resources and informing evidence-based budgeting and financing decisions. Read the blog to learn more: shorturl.at/L73nk #InvestmentCases #NCDFinancing #HealthFinancing @eancdalliance @NCDAccess @MOH_Kenya @MoH_Somalia @MinofHealthUG @MinsanteCMR @roseoronje

As external aid declines, who will finance the future of healthcare? In our second episode on sustainable health financing for noncommunicable diseases, Ruth Musila, at @TakedaPharma, explores the growing global focus on health sovereignty. 🎬 Watch the full conversation.

Investing in Cancer Care: Better Health, Stronger Economies | Herb Riband In this episode of Global Health Unpacked on OncoDaily, host Dr. Gvantsa Khizanishvili seats with Herb Riband, Executive Director of @NCDAccess , to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare systems worldwide: how to sustainably finance the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer. As global health funding priorities continue to shift, countries are facing increasing pressure to address rising rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions while operating under significant budget constraints. Herb Riband shares insights into how global health financing is evolving, the challenges countries face in funding comprehensive cancer care, and why integrated, patient-centered approaches are essential. The discussion explores the role of primary healthcare, diagnostic services, specialized treatment centers, and long-term follow-up care in creating effective cancer care pathways. The conversation also highlights real-world examples from countries such as Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda, showcasing innovative financing strategies and lessons learned in strengthening health systems. Herb Riband also talks about the growing importance of multilateral development banks, public-private partnerships, innovative financing mechanisms, and country-led solutions in building sustainable and resilient healthcare systems. He emphasizes the need for collaboration among governments, donors, civil society, academia, and the private sector to improve access to quality care for patients living with cancer and other NCDs. youtube.com/watch?v=ysmnT-…

“If you have a healthy nation, you have a wealthy nation.” In the first of a series of conversations with Access Accelerated partners, Jon Fairest (@sanofi) explains why breaking down silos between sectors is key to sustainable NCD financing. 📺Watch👇 #NCDs #HealthFinancing

How to finance sustainable progress for #NCDs & mental health? Our new report from #WHA79 examines how countries are reshaping health financing through leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and country-led action. Access the full report: accessaccelerated.org/news-and-event…

Despite accounting for nearly 75% of global mortality, #NCDs and mental health remain significantly underfunded and still lack a clear centre of gravity within global health governance. Alison Cox, Director for Policy and Advocacy at the @ncdalliance, warned: "NCDs account for around 75% of global mortality, yet receive only about 6% of @WHO's budget. Everyone must help drive a more multisectoral, integrated approach, and the Task Force is an excellent example of how to build that centre of gravity." On sustainable financing, @DrNataliaLinos, Health Policy Lead, Prosperity and Well-being Hub at @UNDP, pointed to the need to expand domestic resources through health taxes and stronger political engagement. "NCDs have always been underfunded. Angola doubled excise taxes on #tobacco and #alcohol and directed 60% of the revenue to health and sanitation. We need to make the cost of inaction visible and bring these issues to parliaments." Speakers also highlighted the role of diagnostics and technology in closing major access gaps. May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the Division of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency @iaeaorg, said: "We cannot treat what we cannot see. In some low-income settings, one PET-CT scanner serves 250 million people, compared with 250,000 in a high-income country. The Task Force is essential for coordination across more than 40 UN agencies and for avoiding fragmentation." The meeting also drew attention to the challenge of delivering NCD care in humanitarian settings. @Lamia Mahmoud, Regional Advisor on NCD Prevention and Healthcare at @WHOEMRO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, noted: "Our region hosts nearly 50% of the world's displaced population. We cannot afford not to prioritize NCDs. Emergencies are not going away, and NCD services must be embedded in humanitarian response from the outset." From South Africa 🇿🇦, Tsholofelo Tsheole, Chargée d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission in Geneva, underscored the urgency of closing the gap between declarations and national #implementation, particularly for the Global South, and called for social solidarity, universal health coverage and integrated health systems. Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, Oleg Salagay, reaffirmed the importance of translating global pledges into national action, pointing to taxes on #sugar-sweetened beverages and anti-tobacco campaigns that have nearly halved smoking prevalence since 2008. The meeting also marked the launch of the 2026–2027 Task Force awards programme. @JLCastroGarcia, WHO Director-General's Special Envoy for Chronic #Respiratory Disease, said the new edition would focus on recognizing leadership, innovation and multisectoral action on air pollution and chronic respiratory disease prevention and management. uniatf.who.int/about-us/news/…

Despite accounting for nearly 75% of global mortality, NCDs and mental health remain significantly underfunded and still lack a clear centre of gravity within global health governance." Alison Cox, Director for Policy and Advocacy at the @ncdalliance, warned: "NCDs account for around 75% of global mortality, yet receive only about 6% of WHO's budget. Everyone must help drive a more multisectoral, integrated approach, and the Task Force is an excellent example of how to build that centre of gravity." #NCDs #mentalhealth @un_ncd #WHA79

Fragmented efforts will not solve the growing NCD financing challenge. This message was made clear by leaders speaking at our co-hosted side event during #WHA79. Progress demands deliberate coordination, integrated systems, and usable financing data.

Training more health workers won’t fix a system that can’t hire or retain them. In our latest report, @ketchilola calls for stable domestic financing and tighter coordination between health, finance, and public service institutions. Read her op-ed🔗bit.ly/4dMjzZc

At Devex Impact House: The Capital Summit, Herb Riband of @NCDAccess shared how cross-sector partnerships can unlock sustainable, country-led financing — critical as NCDs drive 75% of deaths but receive <2% of aid. Read more: dvx.cm/dibagn

Health financing needs to move beyond aid. Watch Herb Riband of @NCDAccess and Devex discuss how sustainable, country-led models can strengthen health systems and improve outcomes. 🎥dvx.cm/f9tiav

Stronger health systems start with sustainable financing. Join Devex Impact House: The Capital Summit, where Herb Riband of @NCDAccess and Javier Guzman of @the_IDB will share how countries are financing NCD and mental health care beyond aid. 👉dvx.cm/8jyptk

📢 We’re pleased to welcome @sanofi's Global Health Unit to Access Accelerated. At a time of shifting health funding, partnerships like this are key to making progress on NCDs and strengthening sustainable financing. 🤝 Looking forward to the work ahead accessaccelerated.org/news-and-event…

💫One year of progress. See how the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN) advanced health financing for noncommunicable diseases in its first full year of implementation. 👉Read the FAN Annual Report. ncdfinancing.org/news/fans-firs… @Afidep @results4dev @iecsarg @WBG_Health

A new report by Charles River Associates & @IFPMA examines the challenges, what’s working, and how financing models for noncommunicable diseases can scale—highlighting the role of the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN). crai.com/insights-event…

What a year for the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN): 🌍 Expanded to 7 countries 🌱 Seed grants launched 🚀 Second accelerator selected 💰 Contributions complementing the World Bank’s $1.84B NCD investments Read the 2025 Annual Report: ncdfinancing.org/news/fans-firs…

NCDs are reshaping health priorities across Africa. The first FAN webinar brought together leaders from the region to explore how investment cases can guide more strategic financing decisions. Watch the replay: ncdfinancing.org/news/how-inves…

📣 For the first time, Somalia is preparing to generate local evidence on noncommunicable diseases. Seed funding from the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN) will help strengthen planning, financing & accountability for NCDs. ncdfinancing.org/news/fan-fund-… @MoH_Somalia