Buenos Aires, Argentina / Washington, DC — The Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN) has selected the Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS), based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to host its Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Regional NCD Financing Accelerator.
FAN is a transformative initiative established via a technical partnership between Access Accelerated and the World Bank, in close cooperation with Results for Development (R4D) as the network manager, to support low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in strengthening health financing for the prevention and care of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
NCDs — including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, and mental health disorders — are the leading cause of death and disability globally. NCDs are the leading cause of death in the Americas, and over 200 million people are living with NCDs in the Americas.
As a result, health systems across LAC are facing increasing pressure. Per-capita health expenditures are projected to at least double in most countries by 2050, while fiscal space for health remains constrained. Strengthening sustainable, equitable financing for NCDs has become an urgent priority.
FAN’s regional approach
Launched in 2024, FAN began its work in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) was selected as the first regional NCD Financing Accelerator. Through FAN’s regional NCD Financing Accelerators, FAN provides countries with access to on-demand technical assistance (FAN Foresight), cross-country learning and peer exchange opportunities (FAN Forum), and catalytic seed funding to pilot and refine NCD financing programs (FAN Fund). In doing so, FAN aims to strengthen the regional and local ecosystems in which country change agents — government officials, civil society leaders, and social innovators — operate, ensuring they have access to the technical, financial, and knowledge resources needed to succeed. FAN’s regional approach ensures that its support to countries is relevant, contextualized, and accessible to policymakers in LMIC contexts. IECS brings extensive experience in health policy analysis, health economics, and regional technical cooperation. As an independent academic institution affiliated with the University of Buenos Aires’ Faculty of Medicine, IECS has worked closely with governments and partners across Latin America to inform evidence-based decision-making.
“Our objective is to generate practical evidence and support policy processes that advance more equitable, efficient, and sustainable financing for NCDs,” said Dr. Federico Augustovski, Co-Director of the Department of Health Technology Assessment and Health Economics at IECS and project team lead. “Through FAN, countries will have a dedicated space for peer learning, pilot development, and tailored technical support.”
R4D’s role in the network
As Network Manager, R4D plays a central role in coordinating FAN across regions. R4D supports the selection and onboarding of regional accelerators, strengthens their capacity to deliver high-quality technical assistance, and facilitates cross-country learning and knowledge exchange. R4D also leads demand scoping, program design, knowledge management, and monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting across the network.
FAN’s expansion into LAC reflects growing demand from countries for practical, context-specific solutions to health financing for NCD challenges—solutions that can be embedded within universal health coverage and primary healthcare reforms and sustained over time.
What’s next
In the coming months, FAN and IECS will establish the regional team and launch a landscape analysis to identify priority financing gaps and opportunities across LAC. Country engagement is expected to begin later this year. Looking ahead, FAN plans to expand into the Asia-Pacific region, further strengthening its global network of regional hubs.
Countries and partners in LAC interested in learning more about FAN can contact info@ncdfinancing.org.
