The Eastern Mediterranean Non-Communicable Disease Research and Prevention Center (NCDsRC) at EMPHNET, in partnership with TEPHINET are thrilled to announce the selection of nine grantees for the NCDs Mini-Grants Initiative from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Jordan, and Somalia. The selected grantees have proposed innovative projects aimed at generating evidence-based operational and implementation research on NCDs in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). Their work promises to contribute significantly to our understanding of how to tackle the NCD burden in the region, paving the way for sustainable health improvements. Watch the annoucement video here: https://youtu.be/ComvcJsYOfY 

NCDs represent a significant health challenge globally, accounting for approximately 74% of all deaths worldwide. The situation is particularly dire in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 85% of premature NCD-related deaths occur. Within the EMR, the prevalence of NCDs is alarmingly high, with NCDs being responsible for 79% of all deaths in 2019. Diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes claim more than 1.7 million lives annually in the EMR—a figure projected to rise to 2.4 million by 2025 without prompt and effective action.

The high NCD burden in the EMR is largely attributable to modifiable risk factors including tobacco use, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diets. Addressing these risk factors necessitates a life course approach to disease prevention, targeting determinants early in life and throughout critical life stages. Despite the availability of effective interventions for NCD prevention, their implementation across the EMR remains limited. This gap underscores the urgent need for localized implementation research to identify optimal strategies for delivering World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended interventions and adapting them to the unique contexts of EMR countries.

In response to this pressing need, EMPHNET, in collaboration with the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET) and with technical expertise from the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has launched the NCDs Mini Grants Initiative. This initiative is part of EMPHNET's broader NCD framework for action, which aims to foster effective, integrated responses to NCD risk factors and strengthen health systems for improved NCD prevention and control in the EMR.

The goal of the Mini Grants initiative is to accelerate the application of scientific methods and evidence to reduce the NCD burden and enhance the translation of scientific evidence into policy and interventions for NCD prevention. Specifically, the initiative aims to:

• Support countries in identifying the main barriers affecting the implementation of evidence-based NCD programs, interventions, and best buys and propose potential evidence-based solutions
• Use local-level knowledge and experience to guide policy, strategy, and decision-making with the goal of improving the response to the NCD burden and impact
• Appraise the NCD needs of vulnerable populations, especially in conflict/displacement situations, and identify effective responses, assess the key NCD response interventions in humanitarian emergencies and chronic crises, and recommend action to address current gaps and constraints.

The Grantees:

• Research: Strengthening Post-partum Mental Health: Integration of Mental Health Assessment Screening Tool in Routine Post-natal care

Foyjul Islam - Bangladesh

• Research: Assessment of Lifestyle and Physical Activity Among University Students in Babylon Province, Iraq / a Cross-Sectional Study, 2024

Tamara S. Alameri - Iraq

• Research: Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to Identify and Address Barriers to the Implementation of NCDs Programs in Somalia

Abdirahman Moallim Ibrahim - Somalia

• Research: Cigarette Smoking and its Associated Factors Among Students at Babylon University, Iraq, 2024

Bilal Hadi Jawad - Iraq

• Research: Improving Hypertension Management In Afghanistan: A Small-Scale Intervention Using WhatsApp for Hypertension Education and Follow up

Marzia Mohmand - Afghanistan  

• Research: Enhancing the Awareness of Policy Makers about NCDs tsunami in Afghanistan: A Health in All Policy dialogue

Jamalliden Mudafi - Afghanistan

• Research: Empowering Frontline Health Workers: A Model for Community-Level CVD Screening and Referral System in Azam Basti, Pakistan

Muhammad Zia ul Haq - Pakistan

• Research: Drug Adherence among Hypertension and Diabetes patients attending at Non-Communicable Disease Corners at Selected Sub-districts of Bangladesh in 2024

Mohona Sabrina - Bangladesh

• Research: Digital Landscape of Non-Communicable Disease Management in Jordan: Exploring Accessibility, Availability, Resources, Barriers, Challenges, and Advantages.

Ameera Amin - Jordan