“South-South Collaboration for Integrated Health Systems
to Fight Non-Communicable Diseases of Poverty”
July 15-16 2013
Kigali, Rwanda
Country: Rwanda
The inaugural NCD Synergies meeting, sponsored by Medtronic Philanthropy, and hosted in Kigali by Honorable Minister Agnes Binagwaho of the Ministry of Health of Rwanda in July 2013. The meeting focused on technical collaboration and knowledge sharing between countries addressing noncommunicable diseases and injuries of poverty through strategic planning, implementation, and advocacy.
The NCD Synergies project was officially launched as a Partners In Health affiliated project at this meeting. NCD Synergies is now based in Boston and supports ongoing NCD and injury planning efforts in Rwanda, Kenya, and additional Partners In Health countries.
Learn more about the NCD Synergies partnership with the Ministry of Health in Rwanda.

Rwanda Health Communications Commission
Attendees at the 2013 NCD Synergies conference hosted by the Ministry of Health of Rwanda.
80 under 40 by 2020: an equity agenda for NCDs and injuries
We hope that the 80 × 40 × 20 target will capture the imagination of activists and evoke the same sense of solidarity and fierce resolve that has fueled the HIV movement.
Dr. Agnes Binagwaho
Dr. Marie-Aimee Muhimpindu
Dr. Gene Bukhman, for the NCD Synergies Group
80 under 40 by 2020: an equity agenda for NCDs and injuries
Following the inaugural NCD Synergies meeting, the Ministry of Health of Rwanda and NCD Synergies published a commentary in the Lancet in January 2014.
The 80 x 40 x 20 paper demonstrates the spirit of collaboration fostered at the NCD Synergies kickoff meeting in Kigali and outlines NCD Synergies’ perspective on the importance of addressing NCDs and injuries in the very poorest populations. The statement calls on countries and experts to join Hon. Min. Binagwaho’s agenda of reducing premature mortality from all NCDs and injuries by 80 percent in individuals younger than 40 years by the year 2020.
The statement was written by Hon. Min. Binagwaho, Dr. Muhimpindu, and Dr. Bukhman for the NCD Synergies Group, and was signed by representatives of 10 ministries of health in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as members of numerous organizations and educational institutions.
Read the 80 x 40 x 20 paper and view full list of signatories, including affiliations.

Rwanda Health Communications Commission
Participants of the 2013 NCD Synergies conference attending a breakout session.
Conference Materials
- Conference program: 2013 Kigali Conference program (629 KB)
- For a complete list of presentations and to view the corresponding slideshows, visit GHDOnline’s conference page.
Organizers and Supporters
We acknowledge the partnership and thought leadership that made this event possible.
Sponsor:
- Medtronic Philanthropy
Keynote Speakers:
- Sir George Alleyne, Director Emeritus, PAHO
- Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, Hon. Minister of Health, Republic of Rwanda
- Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India
Hosting Organizations:
- NCD Synergies
- Partners In Health / Inshuti Mu Buzima (IMB)
- Ministry of Health of the Republic of Rwanda
- Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC)
Chair: Dr. Jean de Dieu Ngirabega, Deputy Director General, Rwanda Biomedical Center