The Sri Lankan National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS) and Asian Collaboration for Excellence in Non-communicable Disease (ASCEND) Program will hold the upcoming Regional Forum:
From evidence to effective implementation: Improving the prevention and control of NCDs to take place from the 26th – 30th May 2015 at the NIHS Regional Training Centre in Kalutara, Sri Lanka.

The aim of the Forum is to understand how to improve the prevention and control of non- communicable diseases (NCD) and to apply findings from the rapidly expanding evidence base from around the world. There will be a major focus on how to achieve the World Health Organization’s NCD targets by 2025.

The Forum is aimed at health professionals, health authorities, NCD district officers, researchers and program staff involved in NCD prevention and control from both governmental and non-governmental organisations. Research students and other trainees from around the region.

The Forum will combine the latest research findings with practical examples of NCD prevention programs and strategies.The NIHS is a WHO collaborating Centre for Public Health Workforce Development.

The NCD Asia Pacific Alliance Executive Director Dr. Rodrigo Rodriguez-Fernandez will be presenting an update on the practicality and lessons learned regarding the establishment of joint partnerships for the advancement of NCD prevention and treatment within the Asian Pacific Region.

For further information contact ascend-forum@unimelb.edu.au
To read more about the The Asian Collaboration for Excellence in Non-communicable Disease (ASCEND) Research Network click here.

List of Confirmed Speakers 

• Dr Sushil Baral

Executive Director

Health Research and Social Development Forum (HERD)

Kathmandu, Nepal 

• Dr. Fabrizio D’Esposito

Senior Research Fellow | International Programs Manager

Noncommunicable Diseases Unit

Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

• Dr Anders Deejgard

World Diabetes Foundation, Denmark

• Dr. Lanka Dissanyake

WHO, Sri Lanka

• Dr Manoj Fernando

Rajarata University-PLAN Health Promotion

• Dr Renu Garg

WHO SEARO, India

• Dorothea Kanthack-Chan

GACD, United Kingdom

• Najith Guruge

Rajarata University-PLAN Health Promotion

• Dr Indika Kurunathilake

Senior Lecturer in Medicine

University of Colombo

• Dr. Prasad Katulanda

Senior Lecturer in Medicine

University of Colombo

Hon. Consultant Endocrinologist & Diabetologist

University Medical Unit National Hospital,

University of Colombo, SL

• Dr. Gamlath Lakshman

Director,

NIHS, SriLanka

• Jacob Madsen

World Diabetes Foundation, Denmark

• Professor Ajay Mahal

School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine,

Monash University

Australia

• Dr. Prashant Mathur

Senior Research Scientist

Division of Noncommunicable Diseases

Indian Council of Medical Research

(Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India)

• Dr. Firdosi Mehta

Formerly, WHO SriLanka

• Professor Harry Minas

School of Population and Global Health

University of Melbourne

Australia

• Dr Sailesh Mohan

Senior Research Scientist

PHFI, India

• Dr. Aliya Naheed, MPH, PhD,

Interim Head, Chronic Non-communicable Disease Unit,

Centre for Equity and Health Systems

Bangladesh

• Professor Brian Oldenburg

Chair of Noncommunicable Disease Control &

Director, Centre for Health Equity

Melbourne School of Population & Global Health

University of Melbourne

• Professor Prabahkaran

PHFI, India

• Professor Karl Pelzer

Senior Research Scientists

ASEAN Institute, Mahidol University,

Thailand

• Professor Supa Penpid

ASEAN Director, Mahidol University,

Thailand

•  Professor Paras Pokharel

BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences

Dharan, Nepal

• Dr. Lal B Rawal

Research Fellows, icddr,b &

James P Grant School of Public Health

BRAC University

Bangladesh

• Dr Rodrigo Rodriguez-Fernandez 

Executive Director

NCD Asia Pacific Alliance

• Professor Richard F. Southby

Executive Dean and Distinguished Professor of Global Health Emeritus

Milken Institute School of Public Health

The George Washington University

• Dr Janet Southby

The George Washington University

• Mr Supriyanto

Country Director, PLAN

• Professor KR Thankappan

SCTIMST, India

• Dr. Nihal Thomas

Professor and Head, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism & Vice-Principal(Research) Christian Medical College, Vellore, India

• Professor Wah Yun LOW

Head, Research Management Center,

Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya

• Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe

Research Fellow

Oxford University, UK

• Dr. Denis Xavier

Professor and Head, Dept. of Pharmacology,

St. John’s  Medical College

Head, Division of Clinical Research and Training, St. John’s Research Institute, Bangalore, India

• Professor Guo Yan

School of Public Health

Peking University, China

• Dr Xuefeng Zhong

Senior Research Fellow,

Anhui Centre for Disease Control, China

Other attendees include:

• Health Ministry, NIHS and other relevant government agencies/institutes
• NCD/Public Health Officers from SL Public Health Services
• World Health Organization
• Other e.g. NGOs, relevant Institutes etc.
• Other Sri Lanka education/research/professional institutions, including University of Columbo, PGIM etc