27/04/2026
CREATE Dissemination Event Opens in Accra with Strong Focus on NCD Policy and Practice
A high-level dissemination event for the Collaborative Care For Cardiometabolic Disease (CREATE) programme, held alongside the launch of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology review series, is underway in Accra, drawing global health leaders, researchers and policymakers to confront the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across sub-Saharan Africa.
The four-day meeting, running from Monday 27 April to Thursday 30 April, will showcase the achievements of the CREATE initiative Global Health Research Group on Collaborative Care for Cardiometabolic Diseases in Africa while charting a path for translating research evidence into tangible policy and practice.
Opening the event, Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam, Chief Executive Officer of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, described the gathering as both a celebration of impactful international collaboration and a critical platform for addressing cardiometabolic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and stroke.
He stressed the urgency of scaling up the dissemination of research findings and urged both public and private sector actors to invest in interventions capable of reducing preventable deaths, particularly among young people. “These conditions are increasingly prevalent and remain a major public health concern in Ghana and across sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of University of Leicester, Prof. Henrietta O’Connor highlighted the growing importance of cross-border partnerships in strengthening health systems. She pointed to CREATE as a proven model, having trained researchers, healthcare providers and community champions across Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique.
She also formally announced the launch of the Diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa review series published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, describing it as a vital synthesis of global evidence to guide policy and intervention.
“We want to shift thinking from a single project to a sustainable model for equitable global health partnerships,” she noted.
From a national standpoint, Prof. Alfred Edwin Yawson of the University of Ghana underscored the growing toll of NCDs, revealing that six of the top ten causes of death in Ghana are linked to such conditions. He commended the CREATE model for empowering patients to take an active role in managing their health beyond clinical settings.
He further highlighted ongoing government initiatives, including the Free Primary Healthcare programme and strengthened national health financing systems, as critical levers for integrating NCD prevention and management into routine care.
The event also spotlighted the role of the World Health Organization in supporting Ghana’s Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service. Key interventions include scaling up essential NCD services at the primary healthcare level, strengthening surveillance systems, and deploying digital innovations such as a national NCD tracker and diabetes registry.
The gathering marks a significant step towards aligning global research, national priorities and community-level interventions in tackling one of the most pressing public health challenges of the 21st century.
