New Delhi: The George Institute for Global Health in India has announced the opening of a new centre to combat non-communicable diseases and environmental changes as climate change rages throughout the world and the likelihood of significant epidemics increases. In particular among low- and middle-income nations, the Center will endeavour to address the twin challenge.
In partnership with Imperial College London, the George Institute for Global Health announced the opening of the NIHR Global Health Research Centre on Non-Communicable Diseases and Environmental Change.
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About the event
The event’s opening took place on November 17 in New Delhi, and speakers from the National Institute for Health and Care Research gave talks (NIHR). The Center’s mission is to address the dual issues of the threat of global environmental change and the rapidly increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
In addition to presentations, the event included multisectoral panel discussions and NIHR policy talks that brought together researchers, funders, community representatives, public health professionals, politicians, and thought leaders to discuss the goal of the Centre.
A £10 million grant was given by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to start the Center.
The George Institute for Global Health Executive Director and Co-Chair of the Centre, Professor Vivekanand Jha, spoke about the difficulties encountered by LMICs and how the centre will work to produce “actionable evidence” to help the issue.
He said, “LMICs face dual, intertwined challenges of a rapidly growing burden of NCDs and the existential threat of global environmental change. Our Centre will focus on three major challenges at the interface of NCDs and environmental change – air pollution, water salinity and food systems and generate actionable evidence for improving health outcomes and reducing inequities in a cost-effective manner.”
According to Professor Christopher Millett, co-director of the Center and professor of public health at Imperial College London, the Center will help participating institutions build their capacity to provide the high calibre, cross-disciplinary research that communities and policy makers need to lessen the effects of climate change on health in our focus countries and elsewhere.
Delivering equitable, high-quality primary care services for the prevention and treatment of NCDs like diabetes, renal disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and mental health presents particular problems for LMICs.
The objective is “ground-breaking”
The objective is “ground-breaking,” according to Professor Faith Osier, Chair of the NIHR Global Health Research Centres funding committee, as this is the first time this amount of cash has been allocated to LMIC non-communicable illness research.
The Center will focus on the urgent need to increase research capacity over the next five years in order to identify efficient techniques and interventions for use in regional communities. For researchers at various phases of their careers, institutions, and larger communities, activities will be held.
An interdisciplinary team of academics from the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Research (Bangladesh), Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education & Research (India), and University of Brawijaya (Indonesia) are part of the NIHR Global Health Research Centre for NCDs and Environmental Change. They will work to address particular health issues connected to environmental change.
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