The WHO GCM/NCD, Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases and International Development Research centre are hosting a side event titled “Bridging the Gap between Policy and Practice: Implementation Research to Accelerate National NCD Response” at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC)

The session will aim to:

• Discuss the role of implementation research to help countries accelerate the national NCD responses in order to achieve SDG target 3.4;
• Discuss strategies to scale up the uptake of implementation research results by policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders to improve the implementation of NCD policies and programmes;
• Discuss the challenges and identify possible solutions to conducting NCD implementation research in low-income countries;
• Bring together researchers, who have been involved in implementation research for NCDs, to share experiences, best practices and highlight success stories at global and national levels;
• Identify ways and means to support local capacity building and ensure sustainable predictable financing of NCD implementation research in countries;

Speakers include Dr Rachel Nugent (RTI International), Dr Celina Gorre (Global Alliance for Chronic Disease), Professor Brian Oldenburg (Melbourne School of Population & Global Health), Dr Corinne Graffunder (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) among others.

The side event will be held on 29 January between 10:00 -17:00 at Centara Grand Hotel, Lotus Suite 4, and is open to all conference participants.

The final reports from the WHO GCM/NCD Working Group on the inclusion of NCDs in other programmatic areas and the Working Group on the alignment of international cooperation with national plans on NCDs have now been published online.

Both Working Groups were formed under Objective 3 of the GCM/NCD 2016-17 work plan to provide a forum to identify barriers and share innovative solutions and actions for the implementation of the global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020 and to promote sustained actions across sectors.

The Working Group on the inclusion of NCDs in other programmatic areas is co-chaired by the following representatives of two Member States:

• H.E. Beatriz Londono Soto, Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; Permanent Representative to the UNOG of Colombia
• Dr Naoko Yamamoto, Former Assistant Minister for Director Global Health, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan

The Working Group on the alignment of international cooperation with national plans on NCDs is co-chaired by the following representatives of two Member States:

• H.E. Ambassador Taonga Mushayavanhu, Permanent Representative to the UNOG, Zimbabwe
• Mr Kjetil Aasland, Former Minister Counsellor for Health, Permanent Mission of Norway to the UNOG

The Global Dialogue was an important milestone in the informal preparatory process led by WHO for the UN General Assembly Third High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs, which was held on 27th September in New York, USA. The Dialogue attracted close to 300 participants including representatives of Member States, UN Agencies, and non-State actors.

The meeting provided a platform to showcase the accomplishments since 2011, review the commitments made at the High-level meetings and other important global conferences on financing development, and emphasize the role of partnerships for mobilizing resources for national NCD responses, as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The full report summarising the three-day event, including speeches and presentations, can be found online now.