Each year 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 69 die from cancers, diabetes, heart disease and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Over 85 percent of these premature deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for a one-third reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2030. In line with the SDGs, UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021, and HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021, UNDP and WHO have produced a guidance note on conducting national NCD investment cases.

NCD investment cases define the social and economic costs of NCDs, identify priority interventions, and quantify the benefits of scaling up action. More broadly, these investment cases encourage policymakers to expand fiscal space for universal health coverage while advancing legislation, policies and interventions for prevention. The methodology includes an institutional context analysis to ensure political aspects are considered. The guidance note includes examples and lessons from an initial set of NCD investment cases carried out in fourteen countries as part of the UNDP-WHO Global Joint Programme on NCD Governance.

The primary audience for this guidance note is policy makers and economists undertaking or supporting the economic component of NCD investment cases.