World leaders gathered at the UN in New York and to adopt a new Political Declaration to accelerate the global fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer and lung health.

This September, world leaders met at the UN to renew action on major long-term illnesses (like cancer and lung disease). The proposed text explicitly tells countries to “promote national policies for an integrated approach to lung health” and to scale up early diagnosis within primary care; it also calls on health systems to expand prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care for NCDs.

The proposed NCD Political Declaration won widespread backing from the vast majority of countries, including the European Union and its Member States, who publicly affirmed their support and commitment to its adoption. (World Health Organization) The EU’s statement specifically pledged to adopt its measures and push for screening, prevention, and health access priorities. (European External Action Service) However, the United States expressed strong objections, blocking consensus adoption and pushing the declaration to be deferred for a vote at the full UN General Assembly instead. (Devex)

Despite the US position, the declaration enjoys widespread political support in EU, and provides momentum for advocacy in Europe. 

What this means for the momentum on lung cancer: several countries are already moving from pilots to nationwide low-dose CT (LDCT) screening or have started national programmes—

• Croatia: first EU country to run a national LDCT programme (since 2020). (Health Systems Observatory)
• Poland: nationwide LDCT programme underway. (The Lung Cancer Policy Network)
• Czechia: 5-year national pilot (2022–2026) targeting high-risk adults, designed as a pathway toward routine rollout. (ERS Publications)
• At EU level, governments are being supported to pilot and implement lung screening through the updated Council Recommendation on cancer screening and new EU4Health/HaDEA funding calls—key stepping stones to full national programmes by 2030. (Knowledge for Policy)
• Germany: Germany’s Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) approved lung cancer screeningusing low-dose CT (NDCT), starting April 2026, provided the federal ministry of healthdoes not object to this decision.

The proposed declaration puts equity front and center and uses clear, actionable language that patient advocates can reference:

• “Promote equitable, sustainable and affordable access to quality-assured… diagnostics, medicines and other health products”—including measures like fair pricing, stronger procurement, and financial protection so patients aren’t pushed into hardship.
• Set health-system targets by 2030:
  • 80% of primary-care facilities should have essential medicines and basic technologies for NCDs available at affordable prices. (World Health Organization)
  • At least 60% of countries should have financial-protection policies that cover or limit the cost of essential NCD services, diagnostics and medicines. (World Health Organization)
• The declaration also ties NCD care to universal health coverage, stressing integrated primary care for prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care—so services exist everywhere, not only in big cities or for those who can pay. (World Health Organization)