Heads of States and Governments, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Director General of the World Health Organization, Distinguished Ministers, Excellencies,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

From the onset, the Group takes this opportunity to thank the Co-Chairs of the intergovernmental process, the Permanent Representatives of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Luxenberg, for their leadership and hard work.

Despite the advances in research and science, the reality remains stark: NCDs responsible for 75 per cent of deaths worldwide, and every two seconds someone under the age of 70 dies from NCDs. This has been further aggravated by the high costs of essential medicines, diagnostics, and health technologies, which limit access and deepen inequalities.

This sobering reality demands urgent and accelerated action, grounded in stronger multilateralism, solidarity and scaled-up financing, while recognizing the central role of health promotion, disease prevention, and universal health coverage in achieving progress against NCDs.

Excellencies,

Our ambition will remain aspirations unless the necessary means of implementations are effectively delivered, in this vein, the Group of 77 and China stresses that our collective efforts must be guided by the imperative to save lives, by ensuring equitable access to affordable medicines, health technologies, financing, and innovations. Against this backdrop, the Group highlights the following:

First: Scaling-up innovative financing at all levels is essential to enable national efforts for the prevention and control of NCDs.

Second: Ensure timely, equitable and unhindered access to safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics and other health products and technologies.

Third: The Group attaches great importance to TRIPS agreement, and the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS agreement and Public Health, as essential instruments to safeguard access to affordable medicines and health technologies for all.

Fourth: The Group acknowledges the pressing need to overcome impediments that developing countries face in accessing and equitably benefiting from digital technologies.

Fifth: The Group underscores the importance of technical assistance, capacity-building, technology transfer, and international cooperation to ensure that the digital divide does not widen existing inequalities.

Sixth: The Group recognizes the importance of addressing key determinants of health, including through the eradication of poverty, eliminating hunger and malnutrition, reducing food insecurity and addressing inequities, as a priority for the prevention and control of NCDs as well as the promotion of mental health and well-being, while also prioritizing a health approach that takes into account national priorities and circumstances.

Seventh: the Group underscores that many developing countries will not be able to advance in their health sector, while they face unilateral coercive measures.

In conclusion, the Group reaffirms its resolve to work collectively, with strengthened solidarity and renewed determination, to reduce the burden of NCDs. Together, we can work towards reducing premature mortalities and build resilient health systems.

I thank you.