The Community Health System InnovatiON (COHESION) project is a Swiss funded multi-country study, with the aim of improving health systems for noncommunicable disease (NCDs) and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Mozambique, Nepal and Peru. NCDs have received increased prioritization at the global level, but how do these translate into action at national and local levels? Although, NCDs are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, alone such disease burdens do not always result in proportional political support. A two-pronged holistic approach is needed to address NCDs. 1) linking NCDs to the SDG agenda; showing relationships between the causes and impacts of NCDs across the SDG goals 2) management of chronic diseases at Primary Health Care (PHC) level.