Remarks by the President of the General Assembly
H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock
at the Closing of the High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being
September 25 2025
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[As Delivered]
Ms. Assante,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have reached the close of this High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health.
I thank all Member States and stakeholders for their active engagement, and for reaffirming that tackling NCDs is central to achieving the SDGs.
As I stressed this morning¡ªand it bears repeating¡ªmost NCDs are preventable and treatable. Mental health challenges are not a life sentence.
And it¡¯s in every country¡¯s own interests ¨C including economic interests ¨C to tackle these ¡®silent killers¡¯.
Despite these facts, many countries face budgetary and capacity constraints, as we have heard today, that keep essential services out of reach for those who need them.
It is our responsibility, this has been underlined also here today, to close this gap.
That means, as discussed in Panel 1, forging stronger partnerships and whole-of-government approaches.
It means raising awareness, so people understand the risks¡ªand know where to turn for help.
And, as discussed in panel 2, it means scaling up financing and capacity-building so prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are within reach for everyone, irrespective of nationality, age or wealth.
Excellencies,
NCDs and mental health conditions touch every country, every community, every family, every economy.
Cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes ¨C these are not distant challenges, but human – our realities.
While we cannot eliminate every risk, we can reduce many.
We can turn what feels like a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition, one that allows people not just to survive, but to thrive.
We can turn a $30 trillion dollar drag on our economies into innovation, productivity, and overall economic growth.
As I said this morning and over the day, tackling NCDs is for our own mutual benefit, and even for our own self-interest.
We work together, or we suffer alone.
So, let¡¯s be better together.
Thank you.