Summary: 

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death globally and in the South-East Asia Region. The global action plan for prevention and control of NCDs 2013–2020, including a comprehensive monitoring framework with 25 indicators and 9 voluntary global targets, was endorsed by the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly in May 2013. This action plan for prevention and control of NCDs in South-East Asia, 2013-2020 provides a roadmap for regional and national actions for developing and implementing policies and programmes to reduce the burden of NCDs within the regional socioeconomic, cultural, political and health system contexts. The regional NCD action plan is consistent with the global action plan and consolidates follow-up actions of the Political Declaration of the UN High-level Meeting on NCDs. The regional NCD action plan lists priority actions for Member States and WHO in four strategic action areas, namely (i) advocacy, partnerships and leadership; (ii) health promotion and risk reduction (iii) health systems strengthening for early detection and management of NCDs and their risk factors; and (iv) surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, and research. Implementation of these priority actions should lead to a reduction in overall mortality from major NCDs and achievement of the global and regional voluntary targets.