Global Metabolic Health:
MASLD/MASH and
other major NCDs

ABOUT THE EVENT

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of disability and death worldwide, responsible for more than 70% of global mortality. Many of today’s most serious NCDs—including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity—stem from overlapping risk factors rooted in metabolic health challenges. Yet, one of the most widespread and underrecognized NCDs of the metabolic public health threat is metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as NAFLD, and its more severe form, MASH.

MASLD affects an estimated 1 in 3 people globally and is tightly linked to key metabolic challenges such as insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Despite this, and its close link to other major NCDs, MASLD and MASH remain severely underdiagnosed, underfunded, and largely missing from the national and global public health agenda and action plans. This absence represents a critical blind spot in the global NCD response, and a missed opportunity to act earlier, more holistically, and more equitably.

Because MASLD is typically silent in its early stages, it often goes undetected in routine care. But when left unchecked, it can progress to advanced liver damage, including fibrosis, cirrhosis, and cancer. Given its high prevalence and impact, MASLD is a public health threat that demands urgent inclusion in integrated NCD screening, prevention, and care efforts.

Closing this gap requires person-centered models of care that address MASLD as part of a broader metabolic health agenda—not in isolation. Policy frameworks that support early detection, multidisciplinary collaboration, and real-world implementation are essential to bridging the divide between clinical insight and public health action. Equally important is expanding the community of practice—bringing together people with lived experience, healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to raise awareness, mobilize resources, and drive systemic change allowing for metabolic health policy to claim a central space in public health agendas.

As part of the Devex NCD Pavilion @UNGA80, this Health Livers Healthy Lives and ISGlobal Global Metabolic Health event convenes key stakeholders across the global health ecosystem to inform and contribute to policy direction ahead of the 2027 Universal Health Coverage milestone and the 2030 SDG target for NCD reduction. Through a dynamic program of panel discussion and interactive roundtables, we’ll explore how integrated care policies can serve as the backbone of sustainable and equitable health systems.