October 9, 2015

Two out of three deaths worldwide are attributable to noncommunicable diseases (NCD). No country is unaffected by this class of illness, which presents an unprecedented global health challenge.

Dr. Lindsey Jaacks

Dr. Lindsay Jaacks

Dr. Racquel Kelly Kohler

Dr. Racquel Kelly Kohler

Lindsay Jaacks, PhD, alumna of the Department of Nutrition, and Racquel Kelly Kohler, PhD, alumna of the Department of Health Policy and Management, both studied at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. They are co-authors of a recently published editorial that describes four action items to promote the global NCD research agenda.

The article, titled “Global Noncommunicable Disease Research: Opportunities and Challenges,” was published online August 25 by Annals of Internal Medicine.

In Sept. 2014, researchers representing 41 institutions – universities, government agencies, private companies, journals and foundations in the United States – met to discuss the challenges of and identify opportunities for moving forward with a global NCD research agenda.

The four action items that emerged from this conference are:

  1. Build bridges between communicable and noncommunicable disease research.
  2. Encourage reciprocal exchanges of health innovations between the U.S. and global health. (The adoption of healthcare innovations from resource-limited settings may reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes in the U.S.)
  3. Better communicate the benefits of global noncommunicable disease research investment.
  4. Support early-career investigators and their mentors.

Opportunities for collaboration on NCD research across international borders and scientific disciplines are increasingly available, coinciding with the globalization of science and an unprecedented interest in global health among U.S. students, clinicians and early-career investigators.

To have an impact, however, global NCD research must coincide with political will to address known NCD risk factors and health disparities.


Share
.
Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: David Pesci, director of communications, (919) 962-2600 or dpesci@unc.edu
RELATED PAGES
CONTACT INFORMATION
Visit our communications and marketing team page.
Contact sphcomm@unc.edu with any media inquiries or general questions.

Communications and Marketing Office
125 Rosenau Hall
CB #7400
135 Dauer Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400