We are pleased to announce the launch of the NCD Academy, a first-of-its kind partnership to equip providers at the front lines of patient care —including clinicians, nurses, and community health workers— with education available whenever, wherever, and at no cost. 

Presenting the NCD Academy

The NCD Alliance (NCDA) is proud to join the concerted efforts to offer NCD Academy, spearheaded by the American College of Cardiology. Through its support as a global partner, NCDA will work alongside other partners such as the World Heart Federation and Pfizer Upjohn to maximise the value of this programme to clinicians and the broader NCD community across low and middle income countries (LMICs). 

The NCD Academy is an online, no cost, on-demand certificate programme, led by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Courses in the NCD Academy will focus on fundamental and updated skills for the prevention and basic management of major noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), with the aim to vastly improve resources for primary care clinicians and contribute to reshaping clinical education to address NCDs.

Learn more here

• General practitioners and nurses based at community clinics who act as the main source of care for patients seeking medical guidance and treatment in rural and remote areas; 
• Internists and nurses at hospitals who are tasked with assessing newly-admitted patients and providing non-critical care;
• Community health workers who support preventive efforts and early detection in underserved communities through health promotion and disease screening.

NCD Academy will premiere with a course in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke prevention. With an integrated NCD approach, courses from other leading societies in clinical education will follow soon.

Harnessing the potential of the health workforce to tip the scales on NCDs

NCD Academy was born out of the realisation that an optimal health workforce with a wide range of skills and expertise, across the health system involving other sectors and segments of the community, can be a critical lever for health system change in the context of NCDs. 

NCDs account for 71% of global deaths with cardiovascular disease (CVD) ranked number one. 

Considering that 45% of WHO member states report having less than one physician per 1,000 residents, health care systems globally are realising the importance of upskilling nurses and community health workers to play a greater role in patient care. The goal with NCD Academy is to fill this need and foster progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target of reducing premature mortality due to NCDs by a third by 2030.

The report “Protecting Populations, Preserving Futures: Optimising the health workforce to combat NCDs and achieve UHC” recently launched by NCDA with the support of Pfizer Upjohn was an effort to understand approaches that empower the health workforce, including the need to facilitate access to training opportunities. It found that an optimal health workforce with a wide range of skills and expertise, across the health system involving other sectors and segments of the community, can be a critical lever for health system change in the context of NCDs. This would enable models that are more patient-centred, rather than working in silos according to disease or profession.

The uptake of innovative care models —such as leveraging multidisciplinary care teams and exploring digital health solutions— has the potential for strengthening the health workforce and improving the education, deployment, and ongoing management of human resources for health at the primary health care level.

NCDA, together with the American College of Cardiology, the World Heart Federation and supported by Pfizer Upjohn, have been working on education efforts to build the capacity of the health workforce to deliver high quality, integrated primary care services with a focus on the prevention, management, and treatment of NCDs. 

Join us today for the launch of NCD Academy and your opportunity to enroll! 

Our CEO, Katie Dain marks the launch of the NCD Academy below! Call your leaderships to get involved via your own personalized posters! 

Spread the message on social media! #NCDAcademy

Join in and spread the message to the public health community, frontline health workers and the NCD community on twitter below. 

If you are a frontline health worker check out the #NCDAcademy - providing free and online education with courses on prevention & basic management of #NCDs @AccinTouch