A teal and white icon representing non-communicable diseases.

  

Introduction

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What are non-communicable diseases?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental, infectious and behavioural factors. The most common types of NCD are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes. NCDs disproportionately affect people in low - and middle - income countries, where more than three quarters of global NCD deaths (31.4 million) occur. 

 

 

Programme Scope

This workstream provides support across all NCD diseases including with policy development, strategy development, training, programme and intervention development and developing and passing legislation. The programme supports (or directly commissions) research, evaluations, data and health informatics reports (such as Joint Strategic Needs Assessments).

Workstream Focus

  • Improve the evidence base on NCD health needs to inform policy planning, implementation, delivery and evaluation.
  • Provide support to strengthen prevention and management of NCDs.
  • Build capacity and support professional development for people working in health promotion in the UKOTs to ensure good practice and workforce planning. 

Example Projects

  • Facilitating academic and technical support to the health promotion team in St Helena to implement the early stages of a whole systems approach to obesity.
  • Commissioned the University of West Indies to support two UKOTs to develop a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) patient register.
  • Conducted a situation analysis of school food in BVI and provided recommendations for policy to improve food eaten during the school day.

Networks

UKOTs Health Promotion Network

This network is for Health Promotion Leads across the UKOTs to share experiences, guidance and best practice through presentations and informal discussions. Previous themes have included NCD risk factors where a call was dedicated to each of the main modifiable NCD risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution.

The Network meets every 3 months, using the MS Teams platform with secretariat and chairing by UKHSA. For more information or to join the Network please email UKOTs.Programme@ukhsa.gov.uk

UKOTs Child Public Health Network

This network aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and expertise across the UKOTs. The network facilitates discussions and action plans for new areas of work. Utilising experience from clinical practice, members use evidence to reflect on resources and influential policies. Previous meetings have been focused on setting up a “buddy system”. This initiative aims to buddy up an individual in a UKOT and someone in the UK with a common professional area of practice to create a mutual learning partnership and expanded support network. This is an opportunity for exchange of knowledge and expertise between professionals to support learning, practice development and innovation.

The Network meets every 3 months, using the MS Teams platform with secretariat and chairing by UKHSA. For more information or to join the Network please email UKOTs.Programme@ukhsa.gov.uk

Key Resources