Chronic Diseases Management (CDM)
Contribute to the evidence base for effective intervention strategies
Strategic Focus
The Chronic Diseases Management (CDM) Unit aims to address this challenge through generating evidence on chronic disease management as a systematic approach to coordinating healthcare interventions across levels (individual, organizational, local, and national).
The focus on “management” signals a shift away from the dominant notion of treatment and the intended outcome from “cure” to stewardship.
Our core mandate is to co-design and evaluate new interventions or new ways of delivering known interventions in various African populations for the prevention of chronic diseases or care of people with chronic diseases.
Key Research Questions
The CDM unit addresses three key questions:
- What is the burden of, and forecast for, chronic diseases in Africa, and what are the context-specific environmental, behavioral, and genomic risk factors for chronic diseases in Africa?
- What are the best approaches and new tools to deliver known cost-effective interventions for preventing and caring for chronic diseases in Africa?
- How is the health system responding to manage chronic diseases, and what can be done to strengthen health systems to improve services for chronic diseases?
Focus Areas
The research in the CDM unit is grouped into five focus areas:
- Interplay of risk factors for chronic diseases and prevention (CDRISK)
- Food Environment Policy Action (FEP-ACT)
- Cardio-Metabolic Diseases Management (CMD)
- Mental Health and Neurological diseases (MEN)
- Cancer Care Pathways (CANCER)
Interplay of Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases and Prevention (CDRISK)
Many chronic diseases can be prevented by reducing common risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity, and eating unhealthy diets. In addition, prevention of infections that lead to NCDs can be achieved through vaccinations. Our research focuses on investigating the distribution of risk factors, identifying those most at risk, and designing interventions to reduce the risk of chronic diseases across all age groups. There are 7 ongoing projects under this focus area (CDRisk1-CDRisk 7)
Food Environment Policy Action (FEP-ACT)
The food environment influences food choices, food acceptability, and diets through physical and economic access to food (proximity and affordability); food promotion, advertising, and information. Our research focuses on robust measurements of the food environment using validated methods to generate evidence on how this is driving unhealthy food consumption. The evidence generated is then used to drive interventions promoting healthier diets for NCD prevention. There are 4 ongoing projects (FEN1-FEN4).
Cardio-Metabolic Diseases Management (CMD)
Our research focuses on identifying those at the highest risk of CMDs and ensuring they receive appropriate treatment to prevent premature deaths. We co-design both preventive interventions and health system-strengthening approaches that increase access to services, including the use of digital health technology, task-shifting, self-help, and self-care approaches. There is one ongoing project (CMD1).
Mental Health and Neuro-Degenerative Diseases (MEN)
Several common psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases share epidemiologic risk and both conditions are rapidly increasing globally and attracting little attention in most low and middle-income countries. Our work focuses on estimating the burden and addressing major psychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, problematic alcohol use, and neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease and Epilepsy. We co-design and evaluate interventions for the prevention and care of these diseases. We have three ongoing projects (MEN1-MEN3).
The food environment influences food choices, food acceptability, and diets through physical and economic access to food (proximity and affordability); food promotion, advertising, and information. Our research focuses on robust measurements of the food environment using validated methods to generate evidence on how this is driving unhealthy food consumption. The evidence generated is then used to drive interventions promoting healthier diets for NCD prevention. There are 4 ongoing projects (FEN1-FEN4).
Cancer Care Pathways (CANCER)
Cancer is the second-largest cause of death in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). However, cancer outcomes remain much worse in LMICs than in high-income counties (HIC), largely due to delayed treatment. The research that has been done mostly concerns delays in presentation to formal health services.
Yet about half the delay between symptom and treatment initiation arises after the first presentation. Since more people with cancer are surviving better, there is a need to understand their needs and factors that may affect their quality of life and ultimately their experience of survivorship and quality of life.
Related Projects
- Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (ERID), Health and Wellbeing
- Chronic Diseases Management (CDM), Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (ERID), Health and Wellbeing
- Chronic Diseases Management (CDM), Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (ERID), Health and Wellbeing
- Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (ERID), Health and Wellbeing
- Chronic Diseases Management (CDM), Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (ERID), Health and Wellbeing
Related Publications
- Health and Wellbeing, Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH)
- Health and Wellbeing, Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH)
- Health and Wellbeing, Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH)
- Chronic Diseases Management (CDM), Health and Wellbeing
- Chronic Diseases Management (CDM), Health and Wellbeing
- Health and Wellbeing, Nutrition and Food Systems(NFS)
- Health and Wellbeing, Nutrition and Food Systems(NFS)
- Health and Wellbeing, Nutrition and Food Systems(NFS)
- Health and Wellbeing, Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH)