Background:
Non-communicable disease (NCD), particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and obstructive lung disease, causes 35m deaths/year, 60% of all deaths globally. 80% of these deaths occur in low- and middle income countries and incidence of NCD is increasing alarmingly. There are several components to the increase in NCD: lifestyle change with socio-economic improvement, reductions in infectious disease and changing population structure with increased life expectancy and falling birth rates. NCD constitutes a serious and growing threat to human productivity, a substantial economic burden and a major challenge to the fabric of society in many parts of the world. China represents one of the countries in which the burden of NCD will be greatest. Current data indicate that 100 m people are suffering diabetes, and twice that number show signs of pre-diabetes, in China.
Given the considerable research in public health, epidemiology, underlying mechanisms and biomarkers, and translational clinical medicine being undertaken in the partner institutions of the WUN, it seems important for WUN to present a concerted view on the prevention of NCD to the planned United Nations Summit of world leaders on the prevention of NCD in developing countries in September 2011.
Format:
· Conference held immediately before the WUN AGM in Shanghai, China in May 2010 on early life interventions to prevent later NCD.
· Forum format with short, focused, state-of-the-art summaries from international authorities drawn from a wide range of fields, followed by extended goal-directed discussion, with strong chairing, recorded and summarised by rapporteurs.
· The forum will be interdisciplinary; it will utilise expertise in epidemiology, public health policy, health economics, education, health law as well as mechanistic research.
· The conference is to be preceded by an educational event and large scale seminar for health professionals in Jakarta sponsored by Danone. These events will also be used to gather stakeholder input to be fed into the Shanghai conference.
Goals:
· To develop a consensus statement on a developmental approach to prevention of non-communicable diseases in developing countries to form part of the evidence submitted to the UN summit in September 2011 and to be published as a viewpoint piece in a high impact publication.
· To help WUN identify, initiate and/or shape a specific and niche portfolio of research activity to address the Global Public Health Global Challenge.
· To demonstrate to policy makers and funders that the WUN consortium is uniquely placed to deliver to this emerging and increasingly significant research agenda.
· To identify a number of specific projects to be worked up for submission either directly to a relevant external funder, or to next year's WUN RDF as a first step. To initiate and develop relationships with appropriate industry funders.
Meeting Topics:
The forum will address the following suggested questions from a variety of perspectives:
1). Do epidemiological and socio-economic studies indicate which group(s) in developing countries are at particular risk of NCD and of passing this risk to the next generation?
2). Are there early life biomarkers of population groups or individuals at greater risk of later NCD?
3). What forms of early life intervention are currently feasible or should be explored as a matter of urgency, and how can their efficacy be assessed in the short-term?
4). What role could partnerships with industry, media, and other WUN Global Challenges play in the prevention of NCD in developing countries?
5). What are the wider social, economic and political implications of the projected burden of NCD in the developing world and how can these be used to influence policy?
Participation:
· Speakers and delegates will be drawn from as many WUN member institutions as possible and from across discipline groups
· Participants will be limited to an invited group of around 50 (identified by consultation with member institutions' WUN AAG representatives).
· It is expected that all delegates will be senior research faculty with clear capacity to contribute to the conference as fully as possible.
· Non-WUN participants will be included at the discretion of the Conference organising committee.
· Selected representatives from industry and appropriate funding agencies, such as the Wellcome Trust, the Gates Foundation, WHO and UNICEF, will be invited to help shape the research direction from the outset.
Tentative Schedule:
Thursday 19th May
Morning: Registration and welcome
Afternoon: 1st and 2nd panels
Evening: Informal Dinner
Friday 20th May
Morning: 3rd panel
Afternoon: 4th panel
Evening: Conference Dinner
Saturday 21st May
Morning: 5th panel and plenary
Afternoon: Chairs and Speakers meet to develop consensus statement
(Evening: WUN AGM Reception)
Sunday 22nd May
Afternoon: Report back to AGM
Registration：
There is no registration fee but participants will need to find funds for their own travel and accommodation. A block booking has been made at the Hyatt and further information is available from Karen McLaren at the University of Sydney - karen.mclaren@sydney.edu.au
If you have any questions about the programme, please contact Mark direct with cc to Elisa Lawson, the WUN Coordinator at Southampton - m.hanson@soton.ac.uk and e.lawson@soton.ac.uk
