Events

    Hackccess Hackathon

    Hackccess Hackathon

    The NCD Policy Lab and Geneva Digital Health Hub (gdhub) co-organized the Hackccess Hackathon (#Hack4Access)—an intense 24-hour innovation event focused on developing practical solutions to improve equity in Noncommunicable disease (NCDs) care and access.

    Held at Impact Hub in Geneva, the event brought together around 40 participants: health professionals, students, innovators, experts...particularly those working in health and NCDs, who formed multidisciplinary teams to address challenges proposed by leading organizations including NGOs, governments, and international agencies.

    This aftermovie captures the energy, collaboration, and creativity of the hackathon, where teams developed four co-creative and innovative solutions to improve access to NCD prevention and care, including:

    • A low-tech tool to support care delivery in conflict zones

    • A “Dare to Share” campaign for global collaboration in digital health

    • An advocacy roadmap for integrating essential NCD medicines into national systems

    • An access plan exploring pathways for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)

    24H FOR ACCESS IN NCDs

    More information here

    Hackccess Hackathon - Pitch challenge #1 (ICRC)

    Hackccess Hackathon - Pitch challenge #2 (NCD Alliance & University of Geneva)

    Hackccess Hackathon - Pitch challenge #3 (MSF)

    Hackccess Hackathon - Pitch challenge #4 (gdhub)

    What happens after Hackccess Hackathon & #Hackazihaz hackathons?

    A few months ago, the Hackccess hackathon in Geneva and #Hackazihaz in Bamako brought together experts in global health, digital health, and innovation to tackle one major challenge: improving access and equity in Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) care.
    From diabetes to cardiovascular diseases, NCDs are one of the leading global health challenges and innovation is key to improving access worldwide.

    But what happens after these two hackathon ended?
    In this video, discover participants and challenge owners reflecting on their journey:
    • the challenge they presented,
    • the solution developed during the hackathon,
    • and how their project has evolved since
    This video brings their voices together to show the impact of a hackathon beyond the event itself

    The hackathon was co-organized by NCD Policy Lab and Geneva Digital Health Hub (gdhub), in partnership with: University of Geneva (UNIGE), HUG - Hopitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG), Médecins Sans Frontières (Switzerland) (MSF) , NCD Alliance, International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC, and supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

    Partners: NCD Policy Lab, gdhub, UNIGE, HUG, MSF, NCD Alliance, ICRC, Impact Hub, SDC

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    Bridging the Gap: Scaling innovative approaches to NCD medicine access in LMICs

    Bridging the Gap: Scaling innovative approaches to NCD medicine access in LMICs

    On 23 September 2025, alongside the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the NCD Policy Lab joined NCD Alliance and Access to Medicine Foundation, Medicines Patent Pool to host Bridging the Gap: Scaling Innovative Approaches to NCD Medicine Access in LMICs. The event convened senior leaders from international health institutions, pharmaceutical companies, regional bodies, governments, and civil society to address one of the most pressing challenges in global health: ensuring equitable access to quality NCD and mental health treatments.

    Organized in collaboration with the Medicines Patent Pool, the Access to Medicine Foundation, and the NCD Alliance, the session focused on practical pathways to expand the availability and affordability of essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries.

    The dialogue marked an important step toward building a sustained community of practice dedicated to accelerating NCD medicine access globally. By fostering collaboration across sectors, the event reinforced a shared commitment to closing treatment gaps and supporting countries in responding to the growing burden of NCDs.

    Organisers: NCD Policy Lab, NCD Alliance, Access to Medicines Foundation, Medicines Patent Pool

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