Proposed WHO Resolution on Access to Essential Medicines and Technologies for Childhood NCD Communities
In February 2026, the @MATES4Kids Network came together at a side-event co-hosted by CLAN (Caring & Living As Neighbours) and Lehigh University, at the 64th Session of the UN Commission on Social Development (#CSocD64), to discuss shared experiences, successes and challenges accessing essential medicines and technologies for children living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
This important event brought together a broad range of childhood NCD community representatives - including leaders from the Asthma, Type-1 Diabetes, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Cancer and Sickle Cell Disease communities - and everyone shared similar stories of the challenges faced around the world.
We now have the #CSocD64 report and recording online and these records clearly document the voices of childhood NCD Communities representatives calling for bold action and real change in this space.
Agreement on the need for a WHO Resolution
One recommendation that arose from discussions at the side-event was to progress collective efforts towards a 2027 WHO Resolution on access to childhood NCD essential medicines and technologies.
2027 was identified as an important year for such an initiative, given it will coincide with:
- the 50th Anniversary of the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML)
- the 20th Anniversary of the WHO EML for Children (EMLc)
- the 3rd UN High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and
- the approach of 2030 and closing window of time remaining to deliver the SDGs.
One recommendation that arose from discussions at the side-event was to progress collective efforts towards a 2027 WHO Resolution on access to childhood NCD essential medicines and technologies.
2027 was identified as an important year for such an initiative, given it will coincide with:
- the 50th Anniversary of the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML)
- the 20th Anniversary of the WHO EML for Children (EMLc)
- the 3rd UN High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and
- the approach of 2030 and closing window of time remaining to deliver the SDGs.
Links are provided here to documents we can all use to learn more and support efforts towards a 2027 Resolution:
- zero draft resolution
- supporting document
- policy brief
- concept note
- call to action
- letter template to support engagement of Member States
These resources have been co-designed with key childhood NCD Community leaders and other stakeholders. Early drafts were shared ahead of the 2026 World Health Assembly (WHA79), and progressively refined at subsequent Working Group Meetings.
How can your NCD Community get involved and support this work?
As a next step we are inviting everyone to:
- Share the Resolution with your childhood NCD community networks - Please help us engage as many community members in discussions around the Resolution as possible. This document is for ALL childhood NCD and rare diseases communities, so please circulate the attached documents and encourage others to get involved.
- Speak with your Ministry of Health officials - We will need multiple countries to support this Resolution if it is to succeed officially. If your networks have relations with your Ministry of Health, please ask them to talk with their contacts about why they believe this is so important; share the documents with them, and ask them to consider supporting it. In case they are useful, please feel free to adapt this letter with a Call To Action and template that can be used to reach out to your government representative (Ministry of Health or Department of Foreign Affairs officials).
- Join our UN Science Summit side event on 17th September 2026 - this virtual event will bring together leading childhood NCD community advocates and champions, sharing more information on the urgent need for this Resolution.
To find out more or to find out how your childhood NCD community can join the Working Group please email info(at)mates4kids.org.
|
|
@MATES4Kids (Maximising Access To Essential Supplies for Children) is a coalition of like-minded organisations and individuals committed to collaborative action aimed at identifying, implementing, monitoring and sharing practical solutions to reduce the preventable mortality associated with childhood non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in resource-poor settings. @MATES4Kids receives Secretariat support from CLAN (Caring & Living As Neighbours, an Australian non-government organisation in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC. For more information about the proposed Resolution, please contact [email protected].