Non-communicable Diseases

COURSES AND PROGRAMMES CAN BE SUBJECT TO CHANGES

The burden of NCDs is growing globally and at an unprecedented rate in LMICs as a consequence of demographic, economic, epidemiological and socio-political transitions and technological innovations. As a result, current health systems are challenged with an ever-increasing number of people with NCDs adding up to already burdened structures due to widespread infectious diseases. Additionally, the associated socio-economic burden on households poses major challenges for people living with NCDs and their families and for societies at large. It is also interesting to note that the associated risks and determinants for NCDs have contextual variations. Compounded by the fact that much of NCD research stems from HICs, the applicability of this knowledge to LMIC settings remains limited. Thus, there exists a noticeable gap in the generation of contextual evidence, and between scientific knowledge and its effective implementation in policy and practice in LMICs.

This 3-week course on NCDs is directed to health professionals and researchers interested in the prevention and control of NCDs, its risks and interactions within and beyond a health system, and in the integration of healthcare services.

The aim is to increase the participant’s capacity to assess the burden and the determinants of NCDs, and to develop, implement and evaluate strategies to tackle NCDs contextualized to specific settings. The focus is mainly on highly prevalent NCDs, particularly in LMICs, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, and their common comorbidities, as well as chronic respiratory diseases, cancer and mental health and concomitant effects on psychosocial wellbeing.

In this course, students gain and apply knowledge provided by experts on global NCDs, through  lectures, case-studies and opportunities for interaction with class peers. Participants will appraise the current scientific evidence and learn how to translate knowledge into evidence-based prevention and control programmes. The course will include perspectives from different disciplines, combining clinical, epidemiological, social and public health approaches.

The Department of Public Health (DPH) at ITM has a solid record in research on care models for NCDs, including community-based peer support and self-management in low resource health system settings. We will also tap from the expertise of our worldwide network, inviting collaborators as guest lecturers.