How do noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors vary across population groups within countries, and what can governments do to ensure that no one is left behind?
As countries work towards global NCD targets, understanding who is most affected is critical for effective action. Evidence on inequalities can help strengthen the design and implementation of NCD policies and programmes, enabling countries to better target prevention and care, improve health outcomes, and ensure that progress reaches populations experiencing the greatest disadvantage.
The World Health Organization (WHO) report, State of inequality: noncommunicable diseases and their risk factors, was published on 20 October 2026. The report provides a global assessment of inequalities in NCDs and their risk factors, covering four major NCDs (cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes) and five major NCD risk factors (tobacco and alcohol use, obesity and unhealthy diets, insufficient physical activity and air pollution). This is the most comprehensive global assessment of country-level inequalities in NCDs to date.
Alongside the report, WHO published an advocacy brief, The hidden inequalities behind noncommunicable diseases: from evidence to action. The brief draws on evidence from the report to make recommendations for how countries can use inequality data to strengthen NCD prevention and control efforts.
Webinar
A launch webinar was held on 22 October 2026, 13:30–15:00 CET to present the key findings from the report and discuss their implications for policy and practice. Interpretation was provided in Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Arabic interpretation (audio only)
French interpretation (audio only)
Portuguese interpretation (audio only)
Spanish interpretation (audio only)
Agenda:
- Welcome by Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus (Director General, WHO)
- Opening remarks by Søren Brostrøm (Director, Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, WHO).
- A presentation of the report's main findings by the WHO Health Inequality Monitoring Team.
- An expert panel discussion on the way forward to reduce inequalities in NCDs and their risk factors:
- Ignatius Awinibuno (Chief Programme Officer, Technical Coordination Directorate, Ministry of Health, Ghana)
- Radhika Shrivastav (Convenor and Governing Board Member, Healthy India Alliance)
- David Watkins (Professor, Department of Global Health and Department of Medicine, University of Washington)
- Betsy Fuller (Senior Programme Officer, Public Health Team, Bloomberg Philanthropies)
- Yu Lee Park (Coordinator, Health Systems, WHO Philippines Country Office)
- Alarcos Cieza (Unit Head, Management of NCDs, Department of NCDs and Mental Health, WHO)
- Ahmad Hosseinpoor (Team Lead, Health Inequality Monitoring, Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI, WHO)
- Closing remarks by Alain Labrique (Director, Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI, WHO).
Additional information about health inequality monitoring at WHO is available on the WHO Health Inequality Monitor.