Non-communicable Diseases
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are chronic illnesses that cannot be passed from person to person. The World Health Organisation estimates that 38 million people each year die from NCDs, with those from low- and middle-income countries disproportionately affected. King’s research and education activity focusses on causes and effects of both physical and mental NCDs and is helping build capacity and interdisciplinary knowledge in policy, prevention and care from Chile to Zimbabwe to China.
Global ageing is a key focus of King’s NCD work. The sheer pace and scale of ageing societies around the world means countries will face the challenge of ensuring their health and social systems are prepared for this demographic transformation. The interdisciplinary Centre for Global Ageing at King's aims to increase our understanding in areas which will impact on ageing societies, specifically medical innovations for chronic conditions; families and communities, work, retirement and health.
King’s multidisciplinary research portfolio in cancer spans the entire patient journey. By fostering a culture of innovation in cancer patient care through research excellence, King’s Health Partners Integrated Cancer Centre is breaking down traditional clinical and academic boundaries, combining first class clinical care with ground-breaking research to bring direct benefits to patients and strengthening health systems.
King’s recognises that NCDs are not solely physical conditions. The Centre for Global Mental Health, a joint initiative with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is working with low- and middle-income countries to close the treatment gap and build capacity to treat people with mental health problems, especially in low-resource countries also struggling with treating high instances of communicable diseases.
The Dental Institute’s Population & Patient Health Division and Innovation & Translation Centre transforming evidence into policy around the lack of awareness around oral health and the essential services to treat oral conditions, which cause severe problems for under-privileged groups in developed and developing countries in particular and impact patients’ health more widely. The Institute is collaborating across King’s with the Centre for Global Health and the Policy Institute.
Global ageing
Cancer
Global mental health
Oral health
05 July 2017