Civil society organisations in Ghana are urging world leaders to back their commitments to tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health with real financing, warning that political promises without resources risk worsening the global health crisis.
In a joint statement ahead of the 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, scheduled for September 25, 2025, in New York, the Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development and the NCD Alliance Ghana stressed that governments must move beyond rhetoric by raising funds through effective health taxes.
They argued that taxing harmful products such as tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages could generate billions in revenue, while also discouraging consumption of items that drive disease, suffering, and death.
“Increasing domestic revenue mobilization, especially through tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages taxation, is not only a smart economic policy but a moral imperative,” the statement said.
The groups noted that many governments claim lack of funds as a barrier to implementing effective NCD and mental health policies, yet fail to seize revenue opportunities from these taxes. They emphasized that funds raised could strengthen primary health care, expand access to mental health services, and ensure a steady supply of essential medicines and diagnostics.
“This is not a burden on economies; it is an investment in prosperity,” they stated, warning that failure to act would translate into millions of preventable deaths, escalating health costs, and fragile economies.
The statement also reiterated that access to affordable care remains a major obstacle for people living with NCDs and mental health conditions, and governments must commit to removing barriers through universal health coverage.
Civil society groups stressed that the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting must mark a turning point: “Anything less will be an abdication of responsibility to those who elected you, to those who suffer in silence, and to the generations yet to come.”
