Introducing the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN)

By Herb Riband , Director of Access Accelerated

Today, I am thrilled to announce the launch of the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN), a transformative initiative established as part of the new technical partnership between Access Accelerated and 世界银行 , working in close cooperation with Results for Development .

FAN aims to build a growing coalition of global and local organizations in support of improving sustainable financing for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, and mental and neurological disorders, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This new initiative aligns with and will support the World Bank’s goal to provide quality health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030 and is a vital component of Access Accelerated’s mission to drive scalable, sustainable progress on NCDs as part of universal health coverage.

At FAN’s heart is a network of regionally based NCD Financing Accelerators, hosted by leading institutions. The first of these accelerators is launching in Sub-Saharan Africa, with more to come in Latin America & the Caribbean and Asia -Pacific over the next two years. FAN’s regional accelerators will work closely with governments and local implementing partners to provide:

• Regional expertise, data, and on-demand technical support
• Cross-country learning
• Catalytic seed funding to advance NCD financing programs

I’m also pleased to share that, after a thorough selection process, we have chosen the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) as the host of the inaugural NCD Financing Accelerator. Establishing our first regional hub represents a major milestone for FAN and the groundwork laid in Sub-Saharan Africa will be instrumental to this initiative’s long-term success.

Our immediate priority is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the NCD financing landscape across the region and to actively engage government officials, policymakers, and civil society leaders. Led by AFIDEP and R4D, this effort is already in motion and will be completed in early 2025.

FAN is built on a simple yet powerful belief: that strengthening health financing systems is one of the most impactful ways to empower countries to better respond to NCDs and ultimately improve health outcomes and lives. Over the past few years, we’ve listened to countries, considered their needs, and designed a model that will help to address the critical gaps in NCD financing.

We have also formed a Technical Advisory Group made up of experts across NCDs, health financing, health systems, the private sector, and civil society, to guide and support FAN’s development. This diverse group will ensure that our work is aligned with other major initiatives and leverages expertise from across the field.

We have built a strong foundation thanks to the contributions of our partners, but the work has only just begun. FAN’s ability to support the goal of a healthier future in LMICs will depend on active collaboration with the NCD community, finance experts, the private sector, and beyond.

I invite you to become part of that future by joining us on this journey and contributing to this important work. You can learn more about FAN and how you can get involved at ncdfinancing.org.