The world is not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.4, a one‑third reduction in premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by 2030.
At the same time, global health funding is increasingly constrained, with multilateral institutions facing shrinking budgets and staff.
In this context, cost‑effective and sustainable approaches to NCD prevention are more urgent than ever. And one powerful, yet under‑utilised tool, is the law.
Our new article published in Health Promotion International examines how legal capacity building can support global NCD prevention and control.
Drawing on our previous evaluation of the McCabe Centre’s International Legal Training Programme (ILTP) published in 2025, this research shows that long‑term investments in legal capacity building can result in networks and champions that deliver impact far beyond individual law reforms.
Beyond Laws on the Books
The WHO has recognised that law is a key tool to address NCDs and achieve target SDG 3.4.
The ILTP builds the capacity of government lawyers and leaders in low‑ and middle‑income countries to use legal tools to address major NCD risk factors.
Earlier evaluation showed clear, measurable outcomes, including:
- support for tobacco control laws in 30 countries
- defence of public health laws against legal challenge in five countries
- initiation of health‑related cost recovery litigation in one country
This new qualitative study explores how legal capacity building delivers benefits over time.
Based on 17 in‑depth interviews with alumni and stakeholders, it provides a richer picture of longer‑term and less tangible impacts, and the relationship between capacity-building efforts and law and policy outcomes in NCDs.
Key Findings:
Networks That Enable Action
The most highly valued outcome was the creation of strong regional and global networks of lawyers working on NCDs. Alumni described connections across the Caribbean, South America, and Africa that enabled collaboration, peer support, and shared problem‑solving well beyond the formal training period. These networks help overcome a major barrier to NCD law reform: professional isolation. By strengthening relationships across borders and institutions, legal capacity building creates the conditions for sustained, collective action.
Developing Leaders and Champions
The second most frequently cited outcome was increased confidence and leadership. Many alumni described becoming champions for NCD prevention within their governments or regions, using law more strategically and assertively.
For some, participation in the ILTP marked a turning point in their careers. Others went on to further study, senior leadership roles, or positions within global and regional NCD bodies, including WHO‑related institutions.
I will always be an ambassador for McCabe because I know the impact and that it is like a gift that keeps on giving. (Caribbean alumna)
These trajectories matter. Laws do not implement themselves. Progress on NCDs depends on skilled, motivated people who can navigate political, legal, and institutional complexity.
Rethinking Impact
Notably, interviewees did not see individual projects as the programme’s most important impact. Instead, they highlighted broader effects: contributions to regional initiatives, influence beyond original project scopes, and lasting shifts in professional practice.
This challenges linear models of impact focused on immediate legal outputs. In reality, law and policy change is often non‑linear, cumulative, and driven by relationships, reputation, and leadership developed over time.
I think the program has had an impact… I mean, we have got obviously the cases in Kenya… An [alumnus] was one of the critical counsel’s defending that case. And the outcomes have been very positive today for tobacco control, not just in Kenya but in the region and we have this raft of legislation adopted, particularly for tobacco control, in several countries. (African stakeholder)
Why It Matters
As countries face rising NCD burdens with limited resources, this research sends a clear message: long-term investment in legal capacity and leadership is essential.
Capacity building programmes deliver value not only through laws enacted, but through the communities and champions they create.
Building and sustaining a global network of confident health professionals familiar with law and skilled legal professionals committed to NCD prevention may be one of the most effective and enduring investments we can make.
Acknowledgments
We’d like to acknowledge and thank the alumni, stakeholders and reviewers for their valuable insights and contributions.
See the full published article here