International research network aims to counter the triple threat to health The Global Diet and Activity Research Network (GDAR) has launched an ambitious four-year research programme funded by the NIHR Global Health Research initiative. The programme is looking at how the ‘syndemic’ of urbanisation and climate change is influencing diet and physical activity and their … Continue reading Cities, Climate Change and Non-communicable Disease
Design cities differently and it can help us live longer
In this article, originally published in The Conversation, Dr Tolullah Oni, and Rizka Maulida, write about the urgent need to design cities in a way that protects individual and planetary health. By 2050, it is projected that almost 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities, up from 55% today. The fastest urban growth is happening in Asia and … Continue reading Design cities differently and it can help us live longer
South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing
Karen Hofman and Nicola Christofides write about GDAR research assessing the food environment in primary schools in Gauteng following a voluntary pledge by a large beverage company. This blog post was originally published in The Conversation. In 2017, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa voluntarily announced that it would stop supplying sugary beverages to primary school outlets. The company also pledged to … Continue reading South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing
GDAR film showcased in NCD Alliance Webinar
GDAR’s short film about citizen science in Yaoundé was showcased in an NCD Alliance Webinar on 11 November. GDAR co-lead Tolullah Oni took part in the event that provided a first-hand glimpse at the faces of community mobilisation to act on NCDs in the #COVID19 era. In commemoration of World Diabetes Day, this webinar convened global experts to discuss … Continue reading GDAR film showcased in NCD Alliance Webinar
Bold steps needed for national physical activity policy for COVID-19 and beyond
Professor Vicki Lambert from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) and GDAR has been part of spearheading the African Academic Consortium on Physical Activity for Health, which has released two policy briefs for government about physical activity. COVID-19 has highlighted the need for a multi-faceted national plan for physical activity to underpin health development. Some … Continue reading Bold steps needed for national physical activity policy for COVID-19 and beyond
GDAR researchers supporting COVID-19 response
GDAR researchers have been involved in a range of work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 prevention information translated into several widely spoken African languages An Engage Africa Foundation translation team led by Ebele Mogo has translated information on preventing the transmission of COVID-19 into 19 languages spoken across Africa. Select a language, click, and download at http://www.engageafricafoundation.org/covid-19 Found … Continue reading GDAR researchers supporting COVID-19 response
Turning the tide
GDAR teams up with NCD Alliance and BBC StoryWorks as part of short film series They’re the world’s biggest killers. Non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes account for 70 percent of all deaths. But many of these diseases can be prevented and the suffering from their effects, reduced. Turning the … Continue reading Turning the tide
RICHE | Africa Workshop on Healthy Cities – Report
Healthy Cities: Intersectoral approaches to non-communicable disease prevention in Africa Held 2-4 December 2019, STIAS Wallenberg Research Centre, Stellenbosch, South Africa Africa is experiencing a double burden of disease. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease are overshadowing the gains recorded in communicable disease prevention. But cities in Africa also represent … Continue reading RICHE | Africa Workshop on Healthy Cities – Report
Kisumu: from hypermarket to household
How will changes in the food environment affect communities in Kenya? This article is an extract from epigram, the newsletter of the MRC Epidemiology Unit, which coordinates GDAR. Read the full issue of epigram 2019 here. Non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancers are a global challenge. In fact they are more common … Continue reading Kisumu: from hypermarket to household
Global diet and health: GDAR and MRC Epidemiology Unit researchers discuss fresh evidence from a huge global study
The Global Burden of Disease study, which tracked trends in consumption of 15 dietary factors from 1990 to 2017 in 195 countries, and is now published in The Lancet, finds that people in almost every region of the world could benefit from rebalancing their diets to eat optimal amounts of various foods and nutrients. The study … Continue reading Global diet and health: GDAR and MRC Epidemiology Unit researchers discuss fresh evidence from a huge global study