Non-Communicable, Chronic Disease Training and Education Needs in India

Abstract

The drivers of non-communicable, chronic diseases (NCDs) are complex, and include urbanization and migration, economic, agricultural and energy policies, and education and access to health care. Such a diverse array of causes has led to uncoordinated and insufficient political, financial, and social investments to combat the rising NCD epidemic [1]. Health professionals are crucial players in a successful response to NCDs, not only in terms of providing health services; they can also help to inform, monitor and advocate for the necessary policies and structures that facilitate NCD prevention and control by addressing the drivers that lie outside the health sector. Yet, most lowand middle-income countries (LMICs), like India, have a severe shortage of qualified health workers and health researchers [2–5], worsened by the emigration of bright and enterprising public health and medical professionals [6,7]. This ‘‘brain-drain’’ is driven by under-developed training infrastructure, relatively low pay, limited opportunities for sustained career development, and a small number of mentors. Global health experts have acknowledged this problem, stressing that transdisciplinary, translational training can provide a stronger public health, clinical and health research workforce to tackle the NCD epidemic [2–4]. However, the United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s report [8], Moscow Declaration [9], and Zero Draft Document [10] have all failed to include specific recommendations that move beyond ‘‘health system strengthening’’ to specific training plans, especially in LMICs.