Bridging the Divide shines a light on the double burden carried by children and young people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs): managing a chronic condition while grappling with its often-overlooked mental health toll. Drawing on evidence and lived experience, this compendium brings together caregivers, young people, practitioners, researchers, and advocates to argue a clear point: siloed services cost efficiency—and lives. Instead, integrated, person-centred approaches can better prevent, detect, and care for NCDs and mental health needs as they are actually experienced.
Across field testimonies, research summaries, creative reflections, and policy insights, contributors show what integration looks like in practice and why it matters most in humanitarian and resource-constrained settings. The result is both a call to action and a practical guide: for policymakers, direction to design joined-up systems; for practitioners, concrete tools; for funders, a roadmap to sustainable impact; and for families and communities, affirmation that comprehensive care is both possible and necessary. Children and young people have navigated this divide for too long. This resource helps us close it.
