After the Third Meeting of the World Health Organization’s Independent High-Level Commission on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), which, held in September this year, Mexico’s Ministry of Health consulted with thematic experts in drafting a working paper on NCDs, published on November 3rd. The paper, which discusses the outlook on NCDs globally and nationally, sets out a series of innovative health and policy proposals, intended to inform the new government of President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) who takes office on December 1st.

The proposals include support for research and development of vaccines and drugs for NCDs, and recommendations on public policy to strengthen health systems by improving access to affordable essential medicines and innoculations. Stressing the critical role of international cooperation to implementing best practices and successful policy, the paper calls for closer collaboration and alignment among the countries of the region.

In this vein, the need to harness new sources of financing and infrastructure is highlighted, along with that of organizing forums for the exchange of best practice. It points to Latin America’s track-record in this area, citing the Inter-American Group on NCDs, the 2012-2025 Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases in the Americas 2013-2019.

Additionally, the document recommends establishing a high-level Intersecretarial Commission that, chaired by the Head of State, would ensure a cross-cutting approach to implementing health proposals, factoring health concerns into the design of all public policy.