UNGA High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases 2025
How do we make the most progress on NCDs?
Treat high blood pressure. For free.
For the first time, the UN General Assembly’s political declaration on non-communicable diseases includes a concrete target of 150 million more people with their hypertension under control by 2030.
This is progress—but we can do better
This page provides evidence, tools, and messages to support our advocacy partners in driving this agenda forward. Together, taking action that can save millions of lives in the years to come.
Demand action on high blood pressure
Join Resolve to Save Lives and leaders from around the world as we call for committed, urgent, and coordinated action to protect one billion hearts.
A new landmark report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology quantifies for the first time the surprising mismatch between high CVD burden and low CVD funds from high income country governments and international development agencies.
Despite accounting for roughly 31% of total mortality and 15% of total disease burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), just 0.1% of global health funding (or one in 1000 dollars) is dedicated to controlling CVD. Read the full report here.
Taking action at UNGA 2025
Resolve to Save Lives, the World Health Organization, and Bloomberg Philanthropies came together with global health leaders during UNGA to launch WHO’s second global hypertension report, which identifies access to life-saving medicines as the biggest barrier—and the greatest opportunity—for rapid, scalable progress to get high blood pressure under control and saving millions of lives.
During the event, speakers—including WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus—underscored the urgency of expanding access to medicines, while leaders from Ethiopia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and the Philippines shared how they are proving that large-scale blood pressure control is possible.
- Read the press release for full event details.
- Watch the full event recording to gain insight into the latest global data on high blood pressure and the evidence-based tools we have to get it under control.
Resources
Providing the medicines patients need to control high blood pressure
Why medicine access remains a barrier to many living with high blood pressure and how governments and donors can help bridge the gap and keep blood pressure under control
Communications toolkit: Blood pressure control
Show your support for the global call to action to control high blood pressure using these media messages and materials.
Videos
Key publications
Global development assistance for health allocated to cardiovascular disease control, 2015 to 2022
Cardiovascular disease causes 31% of deaths in low- and middle-income countries but receives only 0.1% of global health funding—one in 1,000 dollars allocated to CVD control.
Lessons learned from treating 34 million people with hypertension
Global blood pressure control is within reach if countries implement World Health Organization’s HEARTS program
Global report on hypertension 2025: High stakes—turning evidence into action
WHO report shows access to medicines is the main barrier and opportunity for controlling high blood pressure worldwide.
Unlocking health equity through free blood pressure medications
Removing patient copayments for anti-hypertensive medications reduces risk of heart attack, stroke, and hospitalization.
How to make the UN high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases effective
A call for a focused strategy and more investment to address the world’s leading killer diseases.
Under pressure: Strategies to improve access to medicines to treat high blood pressure
Our report identifies barriers to affordable blood pressure medication and underscores the need to make life-saving medicines more affordable and available.