An International Webinar Series on COVID- 19 and NCDs has been launched by the World NCD Federation. One webinar per month will be organized. The COVID-19 and NCD Webinar Series will present the various domains of noncommunicable diseases and their interaction with COVID-19. Each of the webinar will be recorded and made publicly available via the World NCD Federation website. The webinar series has been launched with an objective to to generate evidence on COVID-19 and specific chronic disease outcome and to disseminate the best practices in combatting COVID-19 and associated comorbidities. It also aims to strengthen public health response for COVID-19 and NCDs by defining the research priorities and discuss the psychological dimensions of COVID-19 from clinical point of view.
The first webinar of the Webinar series was organized on 2nd December from 4:00-5:00 PM IST on the topic of COVID-19 and non-communicable diseases: Impact and the strategic approaches. The topics covered in the webinar included the Impact and the strategic approaches for COVID-19 and NCDs, the speaker was Dr. JS Thakur, Professor of Community Medicine, PGIMER and President, World NCD Federation. He shared the impact COVID-19 has on NCD resources and services and how it has deepened the existing epidemic of the NCDs. He also highlighted that COVID-19 crisis have underscored how unprepared most health systems are and the negative impact it has towards achieving the SDGs. He emphasised on health system strengthening, additional health workforce and new models of integration within health sectors to bridge the gap. The second speaker was Prof Mukesh Kapila, Professor of Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs, University of Manchester, UK and he spoke on the Building Partnership for COVID- 19 and NCDs: The way forward. He highlighted the need for comprehensive health systems and that all resources should be put to address the need for controlling COVID-19 and prioritise people who are vulnerable clinically and with NCDs. Dr. Chandrashekhar Potkar, Regional Chief Medical Officer Growth Markets & Head Global NCD Excellence, VIATRIS highlighted the Role of Private sector and industry partnership in NCDs and that it plays an important role beyond the traditional therapeutic role.
The webinar was attended by 200 participants both nationally and internationally by the Programme managers, Programme Officers, Practicing doctors, Faculty, health professionals and Postgraduate students in medical and public health schools globally. The webinar was streamed live on the official website and the Facebook page of World NCD Federation.
The International webinar series will help in focusing on deadly comorbidities due to COVID-19 and NCDs and will help in highlighting the importance of better management by doctors and patients. It will further help in identification of strategies by integration and convergence of existing health programmes to achieve Universal Health coverage and Sensitize policy makers and National NCD programme managers to address issues related to comorbidities due to COVID-19 and NCDs.
