Almost five million lives could be saved annually if low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) invested 1% more of GDP in public healthcare spending – and used at least 40% of this to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

This is according to Airfinity research commissioned by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), which issued a “Call to Action” on NCDs on Tuesday.

The research is based on “implementing existing cost-effective interventions such as cardiovascular disease management, diabetes screening, and respiratory care”, according to the IFPMA.

“The data supports growing consensus that more funding is needed to bend the curve on NCDs,” the pharmaceutical body said, “urging collective action across the globe” ahead of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September.

NCDs such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, mental health, and neurological disorders cause almost three-quarters of global deaths. Eight out of 10 premature NCD deaths take place in LMICs

Investment in NCD prevention and control could yield an annual seven-fold return in LMICs within a decade, according to 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) calculations. 

Lifestyle interventions including healthy diet and exercise, and primary healthcare could lead to an expected $230 billion economic gain by 2030, the WHO found.

But NCD prevention, early detection, treatment, and control “remain severely underfunded and under-prioritized by both governments and global donors,” according to the IFPMA.

“Low awareness” by “decision-makers, affected individuals, and general population” and “fiscal challenges” were the main reasons for the underfunding, according to the WHO and the World Bank.

As a result, on average some 60% of treatment costs are being carried by patients in LMICs. These out-of-pocket payments for NCD treatment and care push approximately 100 million people worldwide into extreme poverty every year, according to the NCD Alliance.

Access to medicines

The IFPMA noted that “over 1,400 medicines have been approved for NCDs in the past 10 years, which have transformed how we fight disease, and are improving the lives of hundreds of millions of people living with chronic conditions” and “a further 9,600 NCD medicines [are] at various stages of research and development”.

However, there are “significant barriers and delays in ensuring these medicines and vaccines can reach the people who need them, and there are still NCDs for which there is not adequate treatment”, the IFPMA noted. 

The IFPMA is working with partners in Access Accelerated to assist governments to identify a “suite of sustainable financing mechanisms” for NCDs including “health taxes, private or community-based health insurance programs, debt-for-health swaps, health savings accounts, performance-based financing (social impact bonds), blended financing, and mobile health financing solutions”.

Redirecting existing fossil fuels subsidies and increasing taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy foods are options for LMICs to raise finances to address NCDs, the IFPMA report notes.

Collective action

It called for collective action to enable innovation, mobilise investment, drive implementation and ensure the accountability of government and key stakeholders to improve on prevention, treatment and care of NCDs and mental health.

“A political declaration that includes these recommendations can drive a vision for 2050 forward where there are fewer premature NCD deaths, reduced health systems strains, and healthier societies everywhere,” according to the IFPMA.

IFPMA Director General Dr David Reddy said that the UN High-Level Meeting “provides a real opportunity to refocus attention on how cross-sectoral partnerships can help increase access to cost-effective medicines and vaccines in a way that can transform – and even save – the lives of millions of people worldwide.” 

Supporting the call, Dr Kimberly Green, PATH Global Director for Primary Health Care, said that “improving accessibility of essential medicines and health products has been underrepresented in discussions” ahead of the High-Level Meeting. 

PATH acts as the Secretariat for the Coalition for Access to NCD Medicines and Products.

Green said that action is needed to “reduce catastrophic out-of-pocket health costs for people living with these conditions”, and that additional investment was needed to treat NCDs “through strengthened primary health care”.

Image Credits: G Lontro/ NCD Alliance, Airfinity, IFPMA.