Non-Communicable Diseases

This course provides a comprehensive and applied understanding of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) from epidemiological, public health, health systems, and policy perspectives. It examines the global and regional burden of NCDs and the epidemiologic transition that has contributed to their growing importance, with particular attention to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health conditions.

The course explores the multilevel determinants of NCDs, including behavioral and metabolic risk factors as well as the social, commercial, environmental, and structural conditions that shape population exposure, vulnerability, disease outcomes, and health inequities. Learners examine how tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, harmful alcohol use, environmental pollution, climate change, and broader social and economic conditions interact across the life course to influence NCD risk.

A major component of the course focuses on measurement and monitoring of NCDs. Learners examine NCD surveillance systems, indicators, data sources, global monitoring frameworks, and the WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (STEPS), including sampling, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and use of surveillance findings for public health decision-making.

Disease-specific modules translate these concepts into practice by examining the epidemiology, risk factors, prevention, detection, management, and health system response for major NCDs. Particular emphasis is placed on identifying gaps in prevention, early diagnosis, continuity of care, and access to effective interventions, and on understanding the role of primary health care in improving NCD outcomes.

The course then moves from understanding disease burden to designing population-level responses. Learners critically examine conceptual approaches to NCD prevention and control, WHO Best Buys and other evidence-informed interventions, health promotion strategies, multisectoral action, and the political economy of NCD policy development and implementation. The course emphasizes translating evidence and surveillance data into policies and programs aligned with national priorities and global NCD targets, including SDG Target 3.4.

Finally, the course addresses emerging and future challenges for NCD prevention and control, including climate change, environmental pollution, and the continuity and resilience of NCD services during emergencies and other health system disruptions.

Through applied examples, case studies, data interpretation, and policy analysis, the course equips learners to move from understanding NCD burden and determinants to using evidence for action—designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating context-appropriate strategies for NCD prevention and control.

1. Explain the epidemiologic transition and analyze its contribution to changing patterns of NCD morbidity, mortality, and disability globally and regionally.
2. Describe and compare the epidemiology, risk factors, natural history, and public health significance of major NCDs, including obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health conditions.
3. Analyze the interacting determinants of NCDs, including behavioral, metabolic, social, commercial, occupational, and environmental factors, and explain how these contribute to population-level risk and health inequities.
4. Interpret major NCD indicators, data sources, and global monitoring frameworks, including their application to monitoring progress toward national and global NCD targets and SDG Target 3.4.
5. Describe and critically assess NCD surveillance systems, including their objectives, data sources, indicators, strengths, limitations, and approaches to system evaluation.
6. Explain and apply the WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (STEPS), including its modular structure, sampling principles, field implementation, analysis, interpretation, and use of findings.
7. Analyze and interpret epidemiological and surveillance data to identify NCD trends, population groups at increased risk, health inequities, service gaps, and priorities for public health action.
8. Assess prevention, early detection, management, and continuity-of-care approaches for major NCDs, with particular attention to the role of primary health care and health system capacity.
9. Differentiate and apply population- and individual-level approaches to NCD prevention and control, including primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
10. Evaluate evidence-informed NCD interventions and policies, including WHO Best Buys, health promotion interventions, and multisectoral approaches, considering effectiveness, feasibility, equity, and context.
11. Analyze the political, commercial, and institutional factors that influence NCD policy development and implementation, and identify strategies for strengthening policy uptake and multisectoral action.
12. Evaluate the implications of emerging challenges, including climate change, environmental pollution, and emergencies, for NCD risk, health inequities, continuity of care, and health system resilience.
13. Translate NCD evidence into action by proposing context-appropriate surveillance improvements, prevention strategies, health system interventions, and policies that respond to identified population needs and system gaps.