Published in News, Funding & opportunities
The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) is pleased to announce that its Associate Members, in partnership with the Research Council of Norway have pledged over $55 million to fund 25 new projects.
The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) is pleased to announce that its Associate Members in partnership with the Research Council of Norway have pledged over $55 million to fund 25 new projects aimed at addressing common risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and disadvantaged populations in high-income countries (HICs). Importantly, the new projects will take a life course approach, focusing on critical life stages and transitions between them.
Chronic NCDs, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, certain cancers, and mental health disorders, are the leading causes of deaths in both LMICs and HICs. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of addressing NCDs, as people with underlying NCDs have been found to be at higher risk of severe illness and death. Therefore, reducing the burden of NCDs is crucial for building more resilient, equitable, and healthier societies.
A life course approach to tackling NCDs involves tailoring interventions to specific life stages (preconception, infancy, youth, adulthood, and older adulthood). By also targeting key transitions, such as high school graduation or retirement, the effectiveness and acceptability of interventions can be improved. This approach can minimize the impact of known risk factors on health and promote well-being throughout a person’s life, potentially benefiting future generations. The World Health Organization’s global action plan for preventing and controlling NCDs recommends adopting a life course approach to tackle these NCDs.
While promoting healthy behaviour and enhancing health-promoting environments have proven effective in reducing the onset or progression of NCDs in HICs, integrating such interventions into communities and health systems, and targeting these interventions for specific life stages remain challenging for LMICs and disadvantaged populations. Therefore, there is a need for innovative and implementation research to tackle NCDs in these groups.
The projects funded by this joint call aim to use implementation research to identify the best strategies to prevent and reduce common NCD risk factors across critical life stages, contributing towards a healthier future.
GACD’s CEO, Dr Morven Roberts, said, “GACD is committed to working towards a future where everyone can lead a healthy and productive life, free from the burden of chronic diseases. Through this Life course program, we aim to address the challenges of NCDs and make a significant impact in improving the health and well-being of people and communities worldwide.”
GACD will announce further details of the individual projects that are part of the new Life course program in the coming months.
About the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases
The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases is the first alliance of international research funders committed to addressing the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. Since our launch in 2009, our Associate Members have now invested over $300 million in research projects in priority areas including hypertension, diabetes, lung diseases, mental health and cancer.