Season Greeting from the NCD Alliance

Dear Friends,
As we approach the end of another exciting and inspiring year, I wish to take this opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made, and to thank you for your continued commitment and collaboration on non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Through our united efforts, 2013 has been a pivotal year for the global NCD community. I am proud that the NCD Alliance and our 2,000 strong network has led every step of the way – being a thought leader on policy and practice, a convenor of the civil society movement, a partner to governments and UN agencies, and an advocate for people at risk or living with NCDs. Together, we have made significant strides in transforming the fight against NCDs.

At the global level, we have achieved major breakthroughs in our global campaigns. We have started to unlock the power of the UN Political Declaration on NCDs, heralding in a new of action and accountability.

Member States have established the pillars of the Global NCD Framework - including the first set of global NCD targets for 2025, the WHO Global NCD Action Plan 2013-2020, and a UN Task Force to drive a UN-wide response to NCDs. And NCDs have gained traction and growing prominence in the post-2015 development dialogue, with NCDs recognised as a threat to human development in all major UN post-2015 reports from this year.

These achievements should be celebrated by the global NCD community, and by no means underestimated. They demonstrate that the 2011 UN Summit was the tipping point we were hoping for, generating political awareness and momentum for this neglected epidemic.

At the national and regional level, the NCD Alliance has scaled up our activities and partnerships for impact. Through a national capacity building programme, a civil society monitoring initiative, and the development ofadvocacy tools and resources, we have mobilised our network to drive the NCD agenda forward. We are extremely proud of our growing number of national and regional NCD alliances, who have embarked on many successful initiatives in 2013.

We owe these achievements to the support of you, our network of committed partners, who make the NCD Alliance what it is today. Our greatest strength lies in the dedication, rich diversity and solidarity of our 2,000 strong network.

Looking ahead, as we transition into the fifth year of the NCD Alliance, I am certain we will continue this momentum for NCDs. In 2014 we will campaign for a successful UN Review and Assessment on NCDs, we will call for NCDs in post-2015, we will broaden our partnership base, and expand our programmes and initiatives to inspire action and accountability on NCDs from the global to local levels.

I look forward to continuing our work together, and wish you and your families the very best for the holidays, and a happy and healthy New Year.

Sincerely,



Chair, The NCD Alliance