Under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness, Princess Ghida Talal, and with support from the Amman Chamber of Commerce, the Jordan Non-Communicable Disease Alliance(JNCDA)) officially announced that it will begin operations on April 4, 2017.

During an official launching ceremony, the JNCDA was introduced as a collaborative effort, bringing together non-profit and non-governmental organizations working towards preventing and controlling NCD prevalence in Jordan. The JNCDA will achieve this goal through building a multi-sectoral partnership which combines the efforts of EMPHNET, Jordan Health Aid Society, Lina and Green Hands Society, Al Waad Society for Advocacy and Survivorship, the Jordanian CSO Health Alliance, the Royal Health Awareness Society and others to promote a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle across the country.

In her opening speech given at the ceremony HRH Princess Ghida Talal confirmed that this alliance is of great importance, as it presents itself as a monumental step taken towards reducing the prevalence of NCDs on the national level. She further confirmed that the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) is keen on collaborating with all NGOs, non-profit organizations and civil society organizations to find long-term solutions for combatting NCDs on both the national and regional level in good time.

In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Executive Director of EMPHNET, the hosting organization of the Alliance and current head of the JNCDA Dr. Mahnnad Al-Nsour stated that it is an honor and privilege for EMPHNET to be a part of this  initiative.

“Today, we see the fruits of our collaboration with the Royal Health Awareness Society, Jordan Health Alliance, Alwaed Society for Advocacy and Survivorship, Lina & Green Hands Society and Jordan Health Aid Society, come to life. From this day forward, we strive to work together to reduce the impact of NCD risk factors prevailing in the country, thus pooling our learned technical expertise together to create healthier communities,” he said.

From his end, representative of the Jordanian Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Qtaitat stated that reducing the prevalence of NCDs is of great importance in Jordan and a priority. Achieving this goal should not only be the responsibility of the Jordanian Ministry of Health but one that will also fall on all private and public sectors including the educational institutions, municipalities, industry and trade entities, and all non-profit organizations. He further affirmed that collaboration is needed to promote best practices for healthier lifestyles.

More specifically, the JNCDA’s goals echo the global efforts made to reduce the prevalence of NCDs in communities across the country. It particularly works to reduce the risk of early deaths and encourage NGO, private sector, and community participation. Similar alliances have been established around the world to support global strategies to combat NCD's. Its establishment in Jordan responds to a pressing need, as per the WHO, 75% of all deaths in Jordan are caused by NCDs with leading risk factors being smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and high blood pressure.