As the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health came to a close, Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) calls for urgent, gender-transformative financing that meets health needs of women and girls in all their diversity — especially those living with and affected by HIV, TB, and malaria.
Despite renewed commitments, funding for mental health and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) remains far below what is needed. Global frameworks such as Resolution A/RES/79/273 and the Seville Platform for Action (FFD4) reaffirm the need for equitable, inclusive, and people-centred health financing — yet without clear accountability mechanisms, many promises remain unfulfilled.
The Gendered Burden of NCDs and Mental Health
Women and girls continue to carry a disproportionate share of NCDs and mental health conditions. Two-thirds of all female deaths are caused by NCDs — many preventable. Women living with HIV face increased risks of cardiovascular disease and depression, while over 343 million women of reproductive age experience mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
These challenges are amplified by gender-based violence, stigma, discrimination, and poverty. For women in rural areas, sex workers, women with disabilities, and gender-diverse people, barriers to care are even greater due to criminalisation, social exclusion, and underfunded services.
Why Integration Matters
Integrating NCD and mental health services into HIV, TB, malaria, and SRHR platforms is not only essential — it’s cost-effective. Early screening and intervention can prevent catastrophic outcomes, and every US$1 invested in mental health yields a US$4 return in productivity and reduced hospitalisation. Integrated care empowers women and girls through stigma-free, rights-based, and holistic health services.
Towards Holistic Health Financing
To ensure sustainable impact, W4GF calls for gender-transformative health financing that:
• Allocates 15–20% of national health budgets to NCDs and mental health;
• Increases mental health spending to at least 5% of total health expenditure in LMICs by 2027;
• Directs 25% of NCD and mental health programme funding to women-led and gender-diverse organisations;
• Embeds accountability mechanisms with sex, age, and gender-disaggregated data.
These measures are crucial to protect essential services — especially in times of economic austerity or funding transitions.
A Call for Fiduciary Justice
W4GF calls on global health partners to commit to fiduciary justice — financing that is fair, accountable, and transformative. It’s time to move beyond rhetoric and ensure that commitments translate into budget lines, service delivery, and measurable results that reduce the burden of NCDs and mental health challenges for women and girls everywhere.
This is our moment to move from promises to practice — and ensure that no woman or girl is left behind, and that is why the time for a fully funded #8thReplenishment is now!
#FundHerHealth #8thReplenishment #8ForEquity #MeaningfulParticipation #8ReplenishTheWorld
-Read & share our full statement below: