Non-Communicable Diseases

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a threat to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but there is little research to address this challenge. We have shown that NCD manifest differently in SSA. For example, mental illness is often seen with chronic infections (eg HIV). Similarly, type 2 diabetes occurs in lean individuals Africa, unlike in the West where it associates with obesity. Solutions from elsewhere may therefore not be necessarily effective in SSA. The unique NCD presentations are likely shaped by local factors, such as genetic susceptibility and other exposures, including infections and malnutrition. We aim to do rigorous research to uncover the fundamental underlying mechanisms, and to find best ways to prevent and treat these disorders in Africa. We will carefully characterise diabetes to see if it is caused either by lack of insulin (eg because the pancreas is small from previous malnutrition or infection) or because the insulin produced is not working well. We will test if drugs used to treat diabetes in the obese work in thin Africans. Building on our studies that have strongly linked HIV and depression, particularly in young people, we will design and test psychological intervention(s), delivered by lay health workers, to manage depression in young people living with HIV. As combination of infection and NCDs can cause huge disability, we will study how to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities, including through better access to healthcare.