Advancing Access: Global priorities to improve access to NCD medicines, diagnostics and medical devices

Closing the gap in access to NCD treatment

Access to essential medicines, diagnostics, and medical devices for noncommunicable diseases remains inconsistent across much of the world and the shortfall is not evenly distributed. Low- and middle-income countries face the steepest gaps, and within them, certain groups are consistently underserved: people facing economic hardship, rural communities, ethnic minorities, and populations affected by humanitarian crises. The barriers are twofold, products that simply are not available, and products that are available but unaffordable.

This is not a peripheral issue for global health. Expanding access to NCD medicines and devices is a prerequisite for Universal Health Coverage, a driver of health equity, and one of the most direct levers for reducing the global NCD burden.

This brief, developed in collaboration with NCD Alliance, sets out the community's priorities for addressing these gaps, published ahead of two decisive moments: the 2026 International Dialogue on Sustainable Financing for NCDs and Mental Health, and the 2027 UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage.