7 April 2025

Today, countries worldwide observe World Health Day 2025, focusing on the theme "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures." This year-long campaign highlights the critical importance of improving maternal and newborn health. It calls on governments and the global health community to redouble efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths while prioritizing the long-term health and well-being of women.

Addressing maternal non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as gestational diabetes, hypertension (including pre-eclampsia), and obesity during pregnancy is essential to reducing both immediate complications and long-term health risks for mothers and their children.

Early childhood nutrition, physical activity, and the surrounding environment also play a vital role in shaping lifelong health outcomes. Exposure to poor nutrition, tobacco, alcohol, or air pollution during early years increases the likelihood of developing NCDs like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and asthma later in life.

Preventing NCDs starts before birth. Healthy mothers contribute to healthier future generations. Ensuring healthy pregnancies is a foundational step in preventing chronic diseases. Early care, therefore, is an investment in long-term health.

7 February 2025

Yesterday, 6 February 2025, the IS4NCDs project — focused on Capacity Building in Implementation Science Education for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Management in Africa — was launched during its first webinar. The session featured three expert speakers.

Dr. Martin Heine, IS4NCDs Principal Investigator, UMCU (NL), introduced the project and the team, and provided an overview of implementation science, followed by a concise presentation of the various modules offered in the IS4NCDs training program.

Professor Byron Powell, of WashU Brown School’s Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science (USA) discussed Implementation Science in 2030: from puberty to maturity, offering insightful perspectives on the field’s future.

Professor Susan van Schalkwyk, Professor Emeritus in Health Professions Education, Department of Health Professions Education, Stellenbosch University (ZA), highlighted the importance of integrating practical community experiences into academic learning through her presentation Bringing real-world challenges into the class room - community engaged learning for impact.

The project launch was attended virtually by over 40 participants.

29 January 2025

We are thrilled to announce that our Copperbelt University colleague, Dr. David Mulenga, has been promoted to the prestigious role of Dean for the School of Medicine! Join us in congratulating Dr. Mulenga as he takes on this significant leadership position.

This promotion is a recognition of Dr. Mulenga’s exceptional dedication and expertise. We look forward to Dr. Mulenga’s continued contributions to health education, research, and implementation science!

28 January 2025

The IS4NCDs project marked a significant milestone with the successful convening of its first official consortium meeting yesterday. Bringing together leading experts and stakeholders from various disciplines, the meeting laid the foundation for a collaborative effort aimed at tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through innovative and integrative solutions.

Key participants included Martin Heine, Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch, MSc MSc PhD, Naomi de Bruijne, MSc., Judith van de Kamp, David Mulenga, Choolwe Nkwemu Jacobs, Adam Silumbwe, PhD, Juliet Nyasulu, PhD, Mwila Hilton Mwaba, Juliana Kagura, Rene English, Lynn Hendricks, PhD, Dr. Lisa Pfadenhauer, Taryn Young, and Grace Marie V. Ku, MD, MPH, FPAFP, PhD.

During the meeting, the consortium members discussed the project’s objectives, research methodologies, and anticipated impact on addressing NCDs globally. Emphasis was placed on interdisciplinary collaboration, capacity building, and community engagement to ensure effective implementation and sustainability of outcomes.

The consortium’s kickoff signals a promising start to the IS4NCDs initiative, aiming to innovate healthcare delivery and policy frameworks to better prevent, manage, and treat non-communicable diseases worldwide. Team members expressed their commitment to advancing the project’s goals through shared expertise and coordinated efforts.

The IS4NCDs project looks forward to a productive and impactful collaboration as it moves into its next phases of research and implementation.

16 January 2025

On Thursday, February 6, 2025, stakeholders in global health and education will come together for the exciting launch of the IS4NCDs project—an innovative initiative focused on building capacity in implementation science education to better address the growing challenge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa.

The online event, scheduled from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM CET (3:00 PM to 5:00 PM SAST), promises an engaging program featuring leading experts from across the globe. Dr. Martin Heine of Global Health UMC Utrecht will officially introduce the IS4NCDs project, which seeks to equip the current and future health workforce with the skills needed to effectively translate research into practice for NCD prevention and management.

Professor Byron Powell from Washington University in St. Louis will share his vision for the future of implementation science, highlighting emerging trends and opportunities in this transformative field. Additionally, Professor Susan van Schalkwyk of Stellenbosch University will discuss the vital importance of community-engaged learning methodologies in teaching implementation science, emphasizing how collaborative approaches can increase impact.

The discussion will be chaired by Professor Wilbroad Mutale from The University of Zambia, who will guide conversations around collaboration, innovation, and sustainable education models to combat NCDs across African settings.

As NCDs continue to pose a significant health and economic burden on African populations, this project represents a critical step toward empowering health professionals with the expertise needed to implement scalable solutions. Interested participants are invited to register online to join this pivotal event and contribute to shaping the future of health education in Africa.

This launch marks an important milestone in the fight against NCDs by advancing implementation science capacity tailored to the unique challenges faced by African communities.

2 January 2025

A significant collaboration has emerged to combat the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa with the launch of the IS4NCDs project (Capacity Building in Implementation Science Education for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Management in Africa). This visionary initiative unites leading higher education institutions across South Africa, Zambia, and Europe to develop skilled health, education, and research teams specialised in implementation science addressing NCDs.

The project brings together the University of the Witwatersrand and Stellenbosch University in South Africa; the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University in Zambia; and European partners including UMC Utrecht, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp.

IS4NCDs aims to build postgraduate programmes that equip current and future health professionals with the competencies needed to translate policy into effective, context-specific health interventions against diseases like cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, and cancer—conditions increasingly prevalent in African communities.

This collaborative effort reflects a shared mission to strengthen capacity and foster innovation in health systems, ultimately improving prevention and management of NCDs where they are most needed. The launch marks a hopeful step towards sustainable health improvements in Africa through education, research, and international partnership.

Key figures driving this project include experts such as Martin Heine, Juliana Kagura, and Grace Marie V. Ku, alongside many others dedicated to advancing implementation science for better public health outcomes.

The IS4NCDs initiative is supported by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, highlighting the importance of global cooperation in addressing health challenges of the 21st century.

14 November 2024

IS4NCDs, a groundbreaking project aimed at tackling the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa, has received funding from the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme!

The Capacity Building in Implementation Science Education for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Management in Africa project is a collaboration between HEIs in South Africa (University of the Witwatersrand and Stellenbosch University), Zambia (University of Zambia and Copperbelt University), and Europe (Utrecht University Medical Center, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, and the Institute of Tropical Medicine).