Nada India Youth leadership along with 20 Youth leaders prioritized call to action for Youth during NCD Alliance Forum 2017

Call to Action for Youth document which was prepared by youth advocates (Nada India youth  leader was part of 20 youth advocates) from all over the world at Pre youth meet during the NCD alliance forum in Sharjah. This is the voice of youth and Nada India NCD Network supports and  appeal to include and prioritize Yuva Bharat's road map on #NCDFree for Healthy Life with a focus on alcohol . Happy to have a discussion around this. 

The prevention, management, and treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to be a major development challenge across the globe with low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) shouldering a disproportionate burden of mortality – 80% of premature deaths related to NCDs occur in LMIC according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), call for a one-third reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2030 through prevention and treatment, as well as through the promotion of mental health and well-being. To reach the SDG target, the global community needs to address NCDs across individual, community, organisational, and policy levels.

The next major milestone in the NCD agenda is the United Nations High-Level Meeting (UN

HLM) on NCDs, scheduled for September 2018. Member states, civil society, and others will

conduct a comprehensive review of progress made in the prevention and control of NCDs at the national and global levels. Securing a role for young people as advocates in this review, and ensuring they are included in subsequent priority-setting agendas, is a key step.

The presented Call to Action: Youth, NCDs, & 2018 was developed, reviewed, and endorsed during the Global NCD Alliance Forum 2017 as a time-bound and measurable agenda for next generation NCD leaders in the lead up to the UN HLM. The priorities and activities reflect key areas for action by and for young people, with the support of civil society and government.

ROLE OF YOUTH

Throughout the development of the 2030 Agenda and related health frameworks, young

people have been at the forefront in advocating for priorities to improve health and wellbeing.

Our voices put pressure on decision-makers to recognise and include issues that are often sidelined, particularly related to NCDs.

We have developed grassroots campaigns on the prevention and management of NCDs and advocated for policy-level changes. Many of us are researchers helping to generate evidence being used to support these changes. As young people, we bring unique experiences and perspectives to health agendas and have a right to negotiate the future health of the communities in which we live. Ahead of next year’s HLM, advocates must ensure that the priorities of young people are heard and acted upon at every level and that governments are held accountable to their NCD commitments.