The Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN) has selected the IECS – Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (Institute of Clinical and Health Effectiveness), based in Buenos Aires, Argentina to serve as the host institution for its regional NCD Financing Accelerator in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
FAN, a global initiative led by the Access Accelerated–World Bank technical partnership in collaboration with Results for Development (R4D), supports low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to strengthen health financing for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
Launched in 2024, FAN began its work in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) hosts the first regional NCD Financing Accelerator. Each accelerator acts as a central point of engagement for governments, civil society, and other partners, offering technical expertise, regional insight, and coordination to improve sustainable financing for NCD prevention, diagnosis, and care.
FAN’s expansion into LAC comes at a pivotal moment for the region. LAC has the highest proportion of deaths due to NCDs compared to other developing regions. Across the region, populations are aging, and chronic conditions—including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health disorders—now account for an estimated 48 to 80 percent of the overall disease burden. More than 240 million people in the region are living with at least one NCD.
This growing burden is placing greater demands on health systems and the resources required to sustain them. Per-capita health expenditures are projected to at least double in most LAC countries by 2050. As countries work to adapt, many are exploring new and innovative financing approaches to meet growing needs.
“Latin America and the Caribbean have taken important steps to address NCDs,” said Herb Riband, Executive Director of Access Accelerated. “Still, the growing burden has significant implications for public spending, particularly as fiscal space for health remains limited. IECS’s regional reach, coordinated structure, and policy expertise make them a strong fit to support countries advance sustainable financing solutions for NCDs.”
The LAC regional NCD Financing Accelerator will provide a structured platform for technical support (FAN Foresight), cross-country learning (FAN Forum), and catalytic seed funding (FAN Fund) as these efforts evolve. IECS—an independent academic institution affiliated with the University of Buenos Aires’ Faculty of Medicine—brings extensive experience across the region in health policy, research, and technical cooperation.
“Our aim is to generate evidence and support decision-making processes that enable progress toward more equitable, efficient, and sustainable financing models. Through FAN, countries in the region will have a structured space for peer learning, pilot development, and access to tailored technical assistance,” stated Dr. Federico Augustovski, Co-Director of the Department of Health Technology Assessment and Health Economics (ETESA) at the Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS) and project team lead.
In the coming months, FAN will onboard the regional team and commence a landscape study together with IECS to better understand the financing gaps and opportunities facing LAC countries. Country engagement is expected to begin this year. Looking ahead, FAN plans to expand to Asia Pacific next, continuing to grow its global network of regional hubs.
Countries and partners in Latin America and the Caribbean interested in learning more can contact info@ncdfinancing.org.