TB Advocates Call for Joint Action Against NCDs and TB at the UN Multi-stakeholder Hearing on NCDs in New York

NEWS ALERT - 8th May 2025 l Geneva, Switzerland

Last week, the Stop TB Partnership led a delegation of civil society advocates, researchers and community representatives to the United Nations Multi-stakeholder Hearing on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in New York where the Key TB Asks for the High-Level Meeting on NCDs were launched, advocating for stronger integration of NCDs, tuberculosis and other communicable disease efforts.

The Hearing, held in preparation for the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs on 25 September, gave civil society and communities a crucial platform to share testimonies and influence national and global agendas. With NCDs responsible for 18 million premature deaths annually and TB remaining the world’s leading infectious killer, the intersection of these health challenges is more urgent than ever. Shared risk factors like malnutrition, smoking, and diabetes underscore the need for coordinated action.

“Tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases are not isolated issues - they are interconnected challenges that demand integrated solutions. It's time to move beyond fragmented approaches and commit to comprehensive, people-centered strategies that can save lives and reduce suffering”, said Dr. Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director, Stop TB Partnership

Building on the momentum of the 2023 HLM on TB and 2024 HLM on AMR , the Hearing featured interventions by TB community representatives, including Health through Walls (watch here) and The Carter Center (watch here). 

The TB delegation met with UN Country Missions including France, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Nigeria, Brazil, Indonesia, Haiti, Peru and Pakistan, to share the Key Asks document, share examples of joint TB and NCD strategies, and brief Missions on the critical funding challenges faced by the TB community. 

The Key TB Asks for the High-Level Meeting on NCDs were developed through a collaborative process involving civil society, affected communities, researchers, the private sector, and academia. The Stop TB Partnership will continue its advocacy and engagement in the lead-up to the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and will keep you updated on key developments.