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Capacity Building

Young professionals for health development: the Kenyan experience in combating non-communicable diseases

, , , , , , , & show all
Article: 22461 | Received 25 Jul 2013, Accepted 23 Oct 2013, Published online: 20 Nov 2013
 

Abstract

Young individuals (below 35 years) comprise an estimated 60% of the global population. Not only are these individuals currently experiencing chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), either living with or at risk for these conditions, but will also experience the long-term repercussions of the current NCD policy implementations. It is thus imperative that they meaningfully contribute to the global discourse and responses for NCDs at the local level. Here, we profile one example of meaningful engagement: the Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network (YPCDN). The YPCDN is a global online network that provides a platform for young professionals to deliberate new and innovative methods of approaching the NCD challenges facing our societies. We provide a case study of the 2-year experiences of a country chapter (Kenya) of the YPCDN to demonstrate the significance and impact of emerging leaders in addressing the new global health agenda of the 21st century.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Karen Siegel for her assistance in reviewing the article.

Conflict of interest and funding

All authors contributed equally to the article. The authors are members of YPCDN, and are involved in the activities described in this article. No funding was received to draft this article and no ethics approval was required.