Author Archive: Fara Dina

Dr. Judith van de Kamp, PhD

Dr. Judith van de Kamp, PhD
Assistant Professor Global Health at University Medical Center Utrecht

Dr. Judith van de Kamp, PhD

Assistant Professor Global Health at University Medical Center Utrecht

Judith van de Kamp is a medical anthropologist and assistant professor Global Health Education at the Julius Center for Health Sciences, UMC Utrecht. She is a senior lecturer (SKO) and the coordinator of various global health courses at bachelor and master level at UMC Utrecht and University College Utrecht (UCU). She is author of the Dutch book ‘De derde wereld op je cv’ (The third world on your resume) for Dutch adolescents with an interest in working in LMICs.

Judith is passionate about teaching on health equity and justice, and about building strong institutional educational curricula that allow for students to grow an intercultural and open mindset to tackle complex health challenges, both in The Netherlands and abroad.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Clifford Mwamba

Clifford Mwamba
Quality Assurance Manager at the Centre for Academic Development (CAD) at the Copperbelt University

Clifford Mwamba

Quality Assurance Manager at the Centre for Academic Development (CAD) at the Copperbelt University

Mr. Clifford Mwamba is the Quality Assurance Manager at the Centre for Academic Development (CAD) at the Copperbelt University. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Production and Operations Management and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and currently pursuing a PhD. His research interests and experience are in quality assurance and education management.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Victor Daka, Ph.D.

Victor Daka, Ph.D.
Lecturer in the Department of Public Health at the Copperbelt University, School of Medicine

Victor Daka, Ph.D.

Lecturer in the Department of Public Health at the Copperbelt University, School of Medicine

Victor Daka is a lecturer in the Department of Public Health at the Copperbelt University, School of Medicine. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences, Master of Science in One Health Analytical Epidemiology and a PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology. He has worked for 13 years at the National Health and Research Training Institute (formerly Tropical Diseases Research Centre) where he gained extensive experience in applying and implementing collaborative grants especially in malaria clinical trials and 7 years at the Copperbelt University. At the Copperbelt University he has worked on both communicable and non-communicable studies culminating multiple publications in peer reviewed journals. Victor is passionate about community service, serving as President of the Biomedical Sciences from 2016 to 2021. The IS4NCDs project will leverage Victor’s experience and networks to ensure optimum program outcomes.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Building Sustainable Financing and Integrated Care for NCDs and Mental Health: Insights for the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting

Building Sustainable Financing and Integrated Care for NCDs and Mental Health: Insights for the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting

Building Sustainable Financing and Integrated Care for NCDs and Mental Health: Insights for the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting

20 July 2025

Ahead of the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health, efforts are intensifying to transform global dialogue into actionable financing strategies. The meeting, scheduled for September 25, 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, will bring together Heads of State, civil society, academia, philanthropies, and private sector representatives to commit to accelerated action on NCDs and mental health. The registration deadline for participation is August 8, 2025, underscoring the urgency for stakeholders to engage early in preparations.

Key Themes and Goals

Financing Integration:
Central to the meeting's agenda is identifying and implementing sustainable financing mechanisms for both NCDs and mental health. The focus is on moving beyond discussion to securing concrete financial commitments that support long-term action.

Country-Led Initiatives:
Success stories from nations such as Barbados, Norway, and Spain highlight effective national strategies for financing NCD care. These examples serve as replicable models demonstrating practical pathways for other countries.

Strengthening Health Systems:
There is a concerted push to integrate NCD and mental health services into broader health system designs, particularly through primary care. This approach ensures comprehensive and coordinated care rather than fragmented, siloed interventions.

Addressing Critical Gaps:
The dialogues aim to confront challenges including the commercial determinants of health, the climate crisis, gaps in accountability, and the expansion of care in humanitarian and conflict-affected settings.

Youth and Vulnerable Groups:
Special attention is being paid to low investment in youth mental health and the need to scale up community-based and human rights-focused services to better support vulnerable populations.

Key Events and Initiatives

Side Events and Dialogues:
Multiple side events and official dialogue sessions, such as the "Equity and Integration" event at the World Health Assembly and WHO-led financing discussions, are fostering cross-sectoral learning and accelerating momentum.

Focus on Policy and Data:
New data and insights are being shared to inform policy development and facilitate the scaling-up of successful country initiatives.

Advocacy by Key Stakeholders:
Organisations including the NCD Alliance and United for Global Mental Health are at the forefront of advocacy, pushing for progress on key resolutions and thematic discussions ahead of the meeting.

Looking Ahead to the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting

The 2025 meeting on September 25 represents a landmark opportunity to secure increased political commitment and investment in the prevention and care of NCDs and mental health worldwide. The goal is to translate preparatory dialogues and evidence into a strong political declaration that will guide global health policy through 2030 and beyond. With the registration deadline on August 8, stakeholders are encouraged to engage promptly to help shape this pivotal moment for global health equity and integrated care.

This meeting signals a critical juncture for fostering more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful responses to NCDs and mental health challenges globally, emphasizing equity, integration, and leadership.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Exploring Global Challenges in Non-Communicable Diseases: Insights from the 2025 Utrecht Summer School

Exploring Global Challenges in Non-Communicable Diseases: Insights from the 2025 Utrecht Summer School

Challenges in Global Health: Non-Communicable Diseases

16 July 2025

The 2025 "Challenges in Global Health: Non-Communicable Diseases" summer school, held from July 7 to July 11 at the University Medical Centre Utrecht, offered a comprehensive and interactive learning experience focused on addressing the global impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Coordinated by Prof. Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch, the course brought together participants and experts from Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America, including members of IS4NCDs and the Capstone West Africa consortium, to explore critical issues surrounding NCDs in diverse global settings.

Course Highlights and Objectives
Over the intensive one-week program, participants examined the burden and risk factors associated with NCDs, the influence of early life environments, and the complex interplay between communicable and non-communicable diseases. The curriculum also addressed the effects of globalization, migration, climate change, and environmental factors on health outcomes. Key discussions focused on effective prevention, management strategies across different health systems, and innovative policy responses, including the application of e-health, m-health, and big data technologies.

By the conclusion of the course, participants had enhanced their ability to:

  • Describe the epidemiology and global burden of NCDs.
  • Explain how early life experiences contribute to disease variation.
  • Analyze the intersection between communicable and non-communicable diseases.
  • Assess how global health threats influence NCD prevention and control.
  • Apply principles of disease surveillance, control, and prevention in various contexts.

Expert Faculty and Collaboration
The summer school was part of Utrecht University’s MSc Epidemiology program and organized through the UMC Utrecht's Global Health initiative. It featured an international and interdisciplinary faculty renowned for their expertise in global health and NCDs, including:

  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Regien Biesma (UMC Utrecht)
  • Dr. Daniel Boateng (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana & UMC Utrecht)
  • Dr. Olga Cambaco (Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique)
  • Dr. George Downward (UMC Utrecht)
  • Dr. Grace Marie V. Ku (Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium)
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ana Mocumbi (Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique)
  • Dr. Daniel Opoku (Technical University Berlin & Kwame Nkrumah University, Ghana)
  • Prof. Dr. Monique Verschuren (UMC Utrecht)

These experts facilitated rich discussions and fostered cross-cultural academic exchange.

Participants and Impact
The course was open to master's students and professionals from epidemiology, public health, medicine, biomedical, and social sciences backgrounds with an interest in global health and NCD challenges. Through interactive sessions and collaborative learning, participants gained a deeper understanding of the varied challenges faced by low-, middle-, and high-income countries in managing NCDs.

Future Directions
Following this successful 2025 session, the Global Health Summer Schools at Utrecht continue with courses on Implementation Sciences in Global Health, Global Health Ethics & Equity, and Planetary Health. Preparations are underway for the 2026 edition, continuing to provide interdisciplinary education on urgent global health issues.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Professor Juliana Kagura

Professor Juliana Kagura
Co-Investigator for the IS4NCDS Project
Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)

Professor Juliana Kagura

Co-Investigator for the IS4NCDS Project
Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)

Professor Juliana Kagura serves as an Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). She oversees and coordinates the Implementation Science field of study. She also teaches courses in Implementation Science, Monitoring and Evaluation for Health Programmes, NCD Epidemiology and Advanced Epidemiology. Her research expertise and interest focus on life course approach to NCD risk. She served as a technical advisor to WHO/TDR programme on Implementation Research core competencies.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Professor Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch

Professor Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch
Co-Investigator for the IS4NCDS Project
Head of Global Health, Julius Center for Health Sciences & Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht

Professor Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch

Co-Investigator for the IS4NCDS Project
Head of Global Health, Julius Center for Health Sciences & Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht

Professor Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch is Associate Professor and Head Global Health at the Julius Center for Health Sciences & Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands and Visiting Professor at the School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

She is an epidemiologist with over 25 years of experience in international research capacity building and mentoring in epidemiology, public and global health.

Her research focuses on the etiology, prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, double burden of malnutrition and co- and multimorbidity of communicable and non-communicable disease in a global context, including implementation science projects that aim to improve and scale-up care for hypertension and diabetes in Africa, Asia and Europe.

She leads the Horizon Europe funded ‘Optimizing care pathways and quality of care for moderate-to-severe hypertension, diabetes and common mental health multimorbidity in Mozambique (PEN-CONNECT)’ initiative. Previous work include the NIH-funded ‘Integrating heart health in HIV care in South Africa (iHEART-SA)’, and Horizon 2020-funded ‘Scaling-up diabetes and hypertension in vulnerable populations (SCUBY)’ implementation science projects.

She is the principal investigator of courses and capacity building training programmes such as in the ‘Capacity Strengthening of Transdisciplinary Education for Non-Communicable Disease Care in West Africa (CAPSTONE)’ and co-investigator of the IS4NCDs focused on strengthening implementation science education and institutional capacity for non-communicable disease (NCD) care in Africa.

Academic and societal activities include memberships of institutional committees and academic/research networks. Amongst others, she is Deputy Editor of the World Health Federations’ scientific journal Global Heart and Executive Board Member of the European Global Health Research Institutes Network (EGHRIN).

In her current position as Head of Global Health her focus is on the development of global health research and capacity building (https://www.globalhealth.eu) at the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.

LINKS:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerstin-klipstein-grobusch/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=klipstein-grobusch&sort=pubdate

https://www.globalhealth.eu/?r3d=global-health-magazine-2023

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Dr. Martin Heine

Dr. Martin Heine
Principal Investigator for the IS4NCDs Project, Assistant Professor in Implementation Science & Global Health at the University Medical Center Utrecht, Research Fellow at the Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Stellenbosch University (South Africa)

Dr. Martin Heine

Principal Investigator for the IS4NCDs Project
Assistant Professor in Implementation Science & Global Health at the University Medical Center Utrecht, Research Fellow at the Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Stellenbosch University (South Africa)

Dr. Martin Heine is the principal investigator for the IS4NCDs project, assistant professor in Implementation Science & Global Health at the University Medical Center Utrecht, and research fellow at the Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Stellenbosch University (South Africa). His portfolio integrates implementation science, research, and capacity building to reduce the global burden of chronic diseases, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and among vulnerable populations in high-income settings. He leads the Erasmus+ funded project IS4NCDs (Principal Investigator) focused on strengthening implementation science education and institutional capacity for non-communicable disease (NCD) care in Africa. He has worked on international projects such as CAPSTONE (Erasmus+), SCUBY (EU Horizon) and iHeart-SA (NIH) to inform NCD-oriented health sciences education and integrated care policy and practice across multiple health systems and is co-investigator to PEN-CONNECT (EU Horizon) addressing integration of hypertension, diabetes, and mental health in Mozambique and the broader WHO Africa Region.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Dr. Grace Marie V. Ku

Dr. Grace Marie V. Ku
Co-Investigator for the IS4NCDS Project
Public Health Expert, Family and Community Medicine Physician-Specialist, Health Researcher and Academician

Dr. Grace Marie V. Ku

Co-Investigator for the IS4NCDS Project
Public Health Expert, Family and Community Medicine Physician-Specialist, Health Researcher and Academician

Dr. Grace Marie V. Ku is a public health expert, a family and community medicine physician-specialist and a health researcher and academician with background and experience in health systems, health policy & health development research & implementation; in strategic and quality management systems; and in bioethics. She is a senior researcher at the Health Policy Unit, with main focus on chronic conditions. Grace leads a capacity strengthening programme for Cambodia and is course leader of the MPH advanced course on NCDs and the Challenges in International Health core course on Health Systems and Policies for UHC at ITM.  Grace is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Gerontology of the Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Associate Professor at the Department of Preventive Medicine,  Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas, the Philippines.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Dr. Marie-Therese Schultes

Dr. Marie-Therese Schultes
Senior Researcher at the Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich

Dr. Marie-Therese Schultes

Senior Researcher at the Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich

Dr. Marie-Therese Schultes is a Senior Researcher at the Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich. She is a certified health psychologist with a special interest in competency development in implementation science, implementation evaluation and participatory research. Marie-Therese is the founder of the German Speaking Implementation Science Network INFo↔P.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Dr. Lisa Pfadenhauer

Dr. Lisa Pfadenhauer
Co-Investigator for the IS4NCDS Project
Senior Researcher, Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich

Dr. Lisa Pfadenhauer

Co-Investigator for the IS4NCDS Project
Senior Researcher, Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich

Dr. Lisa Pfadenhauer is a senior researcher at the Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany and an adjunct assistant professor at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, USA. She holds a B.A. in International and Cultural Business Studies, a Master of Public Health (MPH), and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Public Health. Her research focuses on the intersection of evidence, practice, and policy, with particular interest in methods such as evidence synthesis and primary qualitative research. Lisa is involved in developing and applying theories and hands-on approaches to exchange and translate knowledge into practice and policy. For example, she co-developed, supported the implementation and evaluated an integrated knowledge translation approach implemented across five countries (Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa) and eight institutions. In addition to her research, Lisa is passionate about teaching and has developed, implemented and evaluated several innovative teaching formats at LMU.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

Latifat Ibisomi, PhD, MSc (Med), MSc, BSc (Hons)

Latifat Ibisomi, PhD, MSc (Med), MSc, BSc (Hons)
Head of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, Wits School of Public Health, Co-Director at the BAMMISHO Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Rustenburg, South Africa

Latifat Ibisomi, PhD, MSc (Med), MSc, BSc (Hons)

Head of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, Wits School of Public Health, Co-Director at the BAMMISHO Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Rustenburg, South Africa

Latifat Ibisomi, PhD, MSc (Med), MSc, BSc (Hons) holds a PhD in Demography and Population Studies, MSc (Med) in Epidemiology & Biostatistics, MSc in Population Studies, and a BSc (Hons) in Statistics. She currently heads the Epidemiology and Biostatistics division, Wits School of Public Health. She also holds certifications in many specialized population, health, development, and management training programmes. Among other responsibilities, she is a co-Director at the BAMMISHO Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Rustenburg, South Africa; a member of the Global Accrediting Body (GAB) for the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET); and an adviser on the WHO/TDR Implementation Research core competency framework. She is the PI for/manages the WHO/TDR and NIH implementation research grants for the school. She leads the teaching of and research on Quality Improvement at the Wits SPH and teaches and coordinates courses in Epidemiology, Research Methods, and Implementation Science. Her research focus is on promoting the sexual and reproductive health (including HIV and MCH), and well-being of the different segments of the African population using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511

The IS4NCDs project has received funding from the European Union's Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement no. 101179511