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Leading research collaborations on chronic diseases

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History

The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases takes its origin in the Grand Challenges Partnership first announced in Nature in 2007. This partnership was inspired by a study published in Nature involving a Delphi panel recruited from fifty countries around the world. The study identified twenty Grand Challenges in chronic non-communicable diseases and highlighted a set of priorities to address the burden of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and certain cancers. This largely preventable, yet relatively ignored and under-resourced, group of conditions cause the greatest global share of death and disability, accounting for around 60 percent of all deaths worldwide. In low- and middle-income countries, the burden is especially significant and is projected to rapidly rise.

Timeline

 Nov 2007 Announcement of Grand Challenges Global Partnership inspired by Delphi-based CNCDs study featured in Nature (lead author Dr Abdallah Daar)
 Oct 2010 Call for applications for Hypertension Programme announced at GACD scientific and Board meeting in Beijing, China

 June 2011
UCL announced as host for GACD Secretariat
 Nov 2011 Dr Susan Shurin elected as new Chair and Prof Xuetao Cao her planned successor, at the meeting of the GACD in Canberra, Australia
 Jan 2012 Celina Gorre selected as first Executive Director of GACD Secretariat. Secretariat established within UCL Institute for Global Health
 Jun 2012 Twelve funded projects of GACD Hypertension Programme announced by Dr Francis Collins at launch event of the GACD Secretariat within UCL Institute for Global Health
 Aug 2013 Call for applications for Diabetes Programme announced by GACD chair Susan Shurin and Chair Elect Xuetao Cao
 Dec 2013 Prof Xuetao Cao is inaugurated as Chair, with Dr Alain Beaudet nominated as Chair Elect
 Aug 2014  GACD identifies lung diseases as next research priority
 Aug 2015 GACD launches Diabetes Programme with 12 project teams
 Jan 2016 Dr Alain Beaudet takes role as new Chair and Prof Glenda Gray his planned successor, at GACD Board meeting in London, UK
 April 2016 GACD announces intention to fund mental health research
   

UCL and GACD

UCL and GACD

 The GACD is hosted by the UCL Institute for Global Health

Reflections on a global alliance

reflections-image

Listen here for a conversation between the GACD's founders