Health and well-being are fundamental pillars of all societies. Health is a basic human right and a driver of social and economic development. While gains have been made in worldwide health, the leading cause of death today, and for the foreseeable future, is the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs challenge our social and economic prosperity; they are expected to cause a cumulative global output loss of $47 trillion over the next two decades. There is a moral imperative to maintain and improve the health of societies around the world. The time to act is now.  

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The World Economic Forum's Charter for healthy living involves creating and maintaining a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being—not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The roots of healthy living are influenced by social and environmental determinants as well as risky behavior, such as tobacco use, unhealthy diets, alcohol abuse and physical inactivity. The lack of access to basic prevention, treatment and care further inhibits healthy living.

All stakeholders have an important role to play in NCD prevention and control. However, there is a clear need to strengthen coordination across multiple stakeholders to improve the effectiveness and impact of these efforts. Concerted joint action is the only way to facilitate the system-level change.

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