UN Links Mental Health to Global NCD Strategy

 

The United Nations has introduced a new global declaration that formally integrates mental health into strategies addressing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The NCD–Mental Health Pact acknowledges that conditions like depression and anxiety significantly worsen physical health outcomes and reduce treatment adherence.

Under the declaration, governments are urged to ensure that patients receiving care for chronic diseases are also screened for mental health conditions. The initiative aims to improve quality of life, strengthen healthcare systems, and reduce the growing global burden of untreated mental illness linked to NCDs.