Linking people, communities and primary healthcare: An essential approach for tackling NCDs and achieving UHC
2023-06-15 15:00 - 19:30 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk)
This is a hybrid conference on incorporating evidence from implementation research in Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam into global health policy discourse.
The purpose of this event is to discuss the importance of scaling up non-communicable disease (NCD) interventions that focus on the role of communities within the primary healthcare approach and to better understand their centrality for achieving universal health coverage. A strong primary health care system which puts people and communities at the centre of health systems is the cornerstone for achieving universal health coverage (UHC).
Non-communicable diseases kill more than 41 million people a year making up 75% of all deaths and 80% of years lived with disability. NCD prevalence rises with age so that preventable disease, disability and death is highest for those over the age of 60 and yet multiple barriers including ageism keep people from seeking or being reached by NCD services. Three-quarters of people living with NCDs live in low and middle-income countries but, while ministries of health recognize the importance of addressing NCDs, health systems and societies are not yet effectively preventing and managing NCDs.
As global policy makers turn their attention to how best to achieve universal health coverage ahead of the UN High Level Meeting on UHC in September, this conference will use lessons learned from the Scaling-Up NCD Interventions in Southeast Asia (SUNI-SEA) research project funded by the European Union as a starting point for reflection on how NCD prevention and management at primary healthcare and community levels can contribute to this.
The learning from this project emphasises the need for policy and investment on NCDs and health systems through investment and strengthening of primary healthcare-level services and shifting power to people and communities.
Download the tentative programme here.
To register please click below:

In-person attendance
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16th Global Conference on Ageing
2023-06-27 - 2023-06-30
The current challenges faced globally, particularly by older people, demand innovations in social, health, and technological realms, along with multisectoral and policy mix approaches. Purpose, urgency and collective action are words that personify the policy agenda for the 16th Global Conference on Ageing to be convened in the most densely populated region in the world.
This year’s conference will be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 27 – 30 June 2023, with the overarching theme “Challenge – Transformation – Change”.
It will be boldly focusing on four themes – older women, immunisation for all ages; digital technologies, frailty and function which will be seen the lens of both the actions areas and enablers. For instance, there are links between frailty, adult vaccination, NCDs, long term care and integrated care.

ECTMIH 2023: shaping the future of equitable and sustainable planetary health
2023-11-20 - 2023-11-23
Date: 20-23 November 2023
Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands
The overarching theme of the congress is planetary health, focusing on the health of ‘human civilisations and the national systems on which they depend’ and reflecting the interconnectedness of human health and climate change in a rapidly changing environment. The ultimate aim to accelerate the understanding, appreciation and connections between tropical medicine, global health and the urgent field of planetary health. The thematic tracks are as follows:

Planetary Health and Health Systems
Infectious Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases
Non-Communicable Diseases
Mental Health
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Child and Adolescent Health

These six tracks reflect this focus, as we will build on global health traditions to emphasize the importance of health equity and universal health coverage to ensure all populations – and especially those in low(er) resource settings – have optimal chances of health and wellbeing. Check the conference programme here.
ECTMIH Academy will also offer a full day of workshops and training sessions to strengthen the academic, professional and creative skills of global health professionals.
The representatives of SUN-SEA consortium will organise a session “Engage communities in prevention and control of non-communicable diseases” will be on 21 November. This 90-minute session aims to strengthen community-based approaches in national prevention and control programmes for non-communicable diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. We will discuss:

empowerment strategies for community groups in improving own health and wellbeing
the strategies of implementing national NCD prevention and control programmes in decentralised health systems
cost-effectiveness of community-based strategies.

For more information about SUNI-SEA session, please contact Jaap Koot, SUNI-SEA Research Coordinator at j.a.r.koot@umcg.nl
