Unleashing implementation research to accelerate national noncommunicable disease responses

Abstract

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. They exact a disproportionate toll in low and middle-income countries, and the world is not on-track to meet international targets for reductions in premature NCD mortality. Largely, we know which policies work for tackling NCDs, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a package of ‘best buy’ policies that are highly cost effective. However, we don’t necessarily know how to adapt and implement these policies in new populations and cultures. Implementation Research (IR) is emerging as a potent tool for gearing the international response, providing a scientific approach to study the processes used to implement policies and interventions and the contextual factors that affect these processes. Amidst growing interest from policymakers, we identify four main areas for action: high-level engagement with IR among international NCD leaders; domestic investment in technical capacity-building; the creation of new financing streams for IR research; and the development of multi-stakeholder engagement mechanisms that can convene and leverage the perspectives and resources of multiple actors with overlapping aims.

Prioritising and planning scale-up research projects targeting non-communicable diseases: a mixed-method study by the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases upscaling working group

“…Programmes that promote collaborative efforts between researchers, practitioners, implementors and policy-makers can greatly assist regional, country and international NCD-related commitments and are critical in global health agendas 50–57. Such comprehensive consultation enables researchers to iteratively implement, monitor and evaluate the interventions to improve fit with local stakeholders’ needs 58–60.…”

Non-communicable disease policy implementation in Libya: A mixed methods assessment

“…Our work falls under the banner of implementation research; concerned with understanding "what, why and how" interventions work for a given population in a particular setting [130,131]. Implementation research has been defined as "the scientific study of the processes used to implement policies and interventions and the contextual factors that affect these processes" [132].…”

“…Implementation research has been defined as "the scientific study of the processes used to implement policies and interventions and the contextual factors that affect these processes" [132]. There have been increasing calls to use IR approaches to understand how the WHO Best Buy policies can be taken to scale in low and middle income countries [131,[133][134][135].…”

Global cardiovascular diseases burden attributable to high sodium intake from 1990 to 2019

“…In 2013, WHO recommended reducing population salt intake by 30% as a part of the goal to reduce non‐communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025 7 . As a cost‐effective approach, salt reduction is one of the top priority actions to reduce premature mortality from CVD 8,9 .…”

“…6 In 2013, WHO recommended reducing population salt intake by 30% as a part of the goal to reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025. 7 As a cost-effective approach, salt reduction is one of the top priority actions to reduce premature mortality from CVD. 8,9 It is important for policy-makers to know the current CVD burden caused by high sodium intake and take efforts to achieve this goal.…”