'Leading and Learning on NCDs and Mental Health: A Call to Systemic Action' was held on July 29 at Parliament House Canberra, co-hosted by The George Institute for Global Health and the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer. Experts and community leaders gathered to accelerate progress on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health-issues responsible for 85% of Australia's disease burden and rapidly rising globally.
We heard powerful reflections from speakers across the region, emphasising the importance of:
- Embedding community-led, culturally grounded approaches to care
- Tackling the structural systems that perpetuate inequities
- Strengthening primary health care and integrating NCD prevention into universal health systems
- Shifting power and recognising diverse forms of knowledge, including Indigenous expertise
- Investing in partnerships that are grounded in reciprocity and mutual learning
Anushka Patel, CEO of The George Institute, opened the event by stressing the urgency: "By 2050, the number of people living with diabetes, cancer and dementia will double." She called for a systemic approach that prioritises prevention, early detection, and affordable treatment to reduce both healthcare system and individual costs.
High blood pressure, for example, causes over 25,000 deaths in Australia annually and costs the health system $1.2 billion per year. Only a third of affected adults have it under control. Yet, as Professor Bruce Neal's research shows, simple dietary changes-such as replacing sodium with potassium in salt-could prevent up to 13 million deaths globally each year.
The barriers to addressing NCDs are not technical but systemic. WHO's "Best Buys" offer 24 cost-effective interventions, including taxing harmful products and improving access to medicines. Despite these tools, implementation has been patchy-particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
"It's not ideas we're lacking, it's action," Patel said. She urged the Australian Government to commit to domestic action, scale up development assistance for NCDs, and show leadership at the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health in September. "We get as much as we put in," noted Dr Cary Adams, highlighting the importance of strong advocacy ahead of multilateral discussions, as well as follow-up and seeking accountability.
A shared theme throughout the event was the critical role of communities. "The answers lie in community," said Professor Raglan Maddox. "Let locals continually foster health and wellbeing." He emphasised that Indigenous and community-led models offer valuable lessons in building equitable and culturally grounded systems.
Dr Sonia McCarthy echoed the importance of partnerships, stating that "smaller countries in the region look to Australia for guidance and support," and that her work in the Solomon Islands "would've been impossible… without that global support." Joanna Munro from Health and Wellbeing Queensland agreed: "Start with a coalition of the willing."
Speakers also challenged prevailing power dynamics in knowledge systems. Keziah Bennett-Brook, describing the Guunu-Maana program, said, "We need to not just include [Indigenous] voices but actually shift power." She called for a greater focus on cultural determinants of health and intersectionality, especially for Indigenous women.
Ultimately, collaboration emerged as the cornerstone of effective action. "What really stood out to me is that collaboration is absolutely essential to success," Professor Bruce Neal concluded. "Equity is not just a deliverable."
With the UN HLM fast approaching, the message was clear: Australia has an opportunity-and a responsibility-to lead on NCDs and mental health. The time to act is now, not only for better health outcomes, but to build stronger, more equitable societies.
