Newsroom
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC—RTI International (RTI), a nonprofit research institute, is pleased to announce our collaboration with the Defeat-NCD Partnership to reduce the burden and prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by providing new information on improving access to essential medicines and other supplies to treat and prevent NCDs.
In support of the Partnership’s efforts, RTI will develop a report on the availability of critical medicines and other supplies around the world to treat and prevent NCDs. This first-of-its-kind report will provide country-specific information on NCD-essential medicines and diagnostics, with a specific focus on diabetes and hypertension supplies in more than 90 low-resource countries. This project will be led by Jean C. O’Connor, Senior Global Health Practitioner of Global Noncommunicable Diseases, and Rachel Nugent, Vice President of Global Noncommunicable Diseases at RTI.
“To reduce the burden and prevalence of NCDs, policymakers and stakeholders must have a clear understanding of the resources they have, and the resources they need,” said Nugent. “We’re pleased to bring RTI’s extensive, cross-disciplinary experience in NCDs to promote country-by-country understanding of the supplies most critical to managing and controlling hypertension and diabetes and how to fill the gaps.”
RTI will work closely with Dr. Mukesh Kapila of Defeat NCDs, and his team.
The lack of affordable and available supplies for combatting NCDs is a major constraint in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For example, SDG 3.B calls for access to essential medicines for all. Yet more than 2 billion people worldwide lack access to essential medicines. The problem is particularly acute in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Other SDGs, such as achieving universal health coverage, will also not be reached without improving the availability of supplies to treat and prevent NCDs.
The Defeat-NCD Partnership was established in January 2018 to help countries tackle the most significant global health problems of the age: premature death, sickness, disability, and the associated social and economic impacts of selected NCDs, beginning first with diabetes and hypertension. The Defeat-NCD Partnership is the only organization with a mandate from the UN to assess and track the accessibility and availability of supplies for NCDs at a global level. The Partnership is constituted under the auspices of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
RTI International Non-Communicable Diseases Work
RTI is working with global partners and country leaders to design, implement, and evaluate policy, prevention, and treatment interventions and long-term solutions. Together, we are helping country-level partners to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), supporting the achievement of universal health coverage, strengthening health systems and responses to reduce harmful use of alcohol and tobacco, and improving access to essential medicines and treatments.
RTI has accumulated 60 years of expertise in research, policy analysis and development, health economics and financing, on-the-ground project implementation, and health systems strengthening. Along the way, RTI has become an integral partner in both assessing and successfully addressing the negative health, economic, and social impacts of NCDs. For more information about how we are addressing the burden of NCDs globally, visit rti.org/ncds.
