Advancing Health Equity: Strengthening Civil Society Engagement

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for roughly three-quarters of global deaths, and many countries remain off-track to meet SDG 3.4 on reducing premature mortality—pointing to a core challenge of governance and law, not a lack of technical solutions. Political commitments, institutions, and legal frameworks determine whether proven measures are prioritized and implemented at scale (WHO, 2023; Allen et al., 2023). The Global Monitoring Framework captured ambition with the “25×25” target, yet progress has been uneven, especially where adoption and enforcement lag (WHO, 2014).

A strong evidence base supports regulatory measures that improve food environments—front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOPL), restrictions on unhealthy food marketing to children, and taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs)—which, when well designed and enforced, reduce diet-related risk factors and advance equity. These are recognized as cost-effective (“best buy”) strategies by global guidance and regional syntheses, with documented pathways to implementation and enforcement (WHO, 2023; PAHO, 2022; WHO, 2022; UNICEF & WHO, 2023). Uptake, however, is often hindered by industry interference, trade/investment barriers, political inertia, and limited legal capacity—hence the need for rights-based, multisectoral governance that can both adopt and enforce these rules over time (Gilmore et al., 2023).

Civil society organizations (CSOs) are indispensable to translating high-level commitments into people-centred change across food and physical-activity environments. They make policy processes more transparent through watchdogging and public reporting; mobilize constituencies and elevate affected communities; co-design and stress-test measures with policymakers to ensure equity and feasibility; and sustain accountability by monitoring implementation and, where needed, supporting legal defence or strategic litigation (NCD Alliance, 2023). Across regions, CSO coalitions have collaborated with governments, researchers and professional bodies to build enabling legal and policy frameworks—leading or supporting excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, and restrictions on unhealthy food marketing to children (WHO, 2022; PAHO, 2022; WHO, 2023).

This side event will highlight how civil society, governments, and other sectors can work together to turn proven noncommunicable disease (NCD) solutions—such as nutrition labelling, marketing restrictions, and sugary drink taxes—into lasting policy. Drawing on global best practices, it will present practical ways to embed rights-based, multisectoral governance to ensure evidence moves from paper to real, enforceable change.

*Prominent speakers will be announced soon

Host or Publisher CISDI