Loughborough University Joins Global Consortium Addressing Physical Inactivity and Unhealthy Diets Among Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa

NCDs, such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes, are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 41 million deaths per year, which is equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally. They also disproportionately affect people in low- and middle-income countries.*

The multi-intervention project will harness the collective expertise of the consortium members, to deliver educational programmes, community engagement initiatives, policy advocacy, and collaborations with educational, faith-based, and healthcare institutions, to reduce unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, and their underlying social determinants.

Professor Lauren Sherar, Professor of Physical Activity and Public Health within Loughborough’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, commented:

“The shift from communicable to non-communicable diseases is a growing health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. Adolescence is a critical window for the development of lifestyle behaviours linked to these diseases. While there have been some previous efforts surrounding nutrition interventions, very little has focused on physical inactivity even though it is a leading risk factor for NCDs. Our Generation H project will design and evaluate a programme that focuses on both important lifestyle factors.”

In addition to Loughborough University, members of the consortium include the Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), the University of Ghana, the African Population and Health Research Center, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, and the Belgian Public Health Institute, Sciensano.

Working in partnership with organisations such as Ghana Health Service (GHS), Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), and the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Advocacy (CAPHA), the project will design, deploy, and evaluate interventions that are mapped on to the WHO Best Buys, a menu of policy options and cost-effective interventions for the prevention and control of major non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

All interventions will be meticulously designed to resonate with the distinct cultural nuances and challenges prevalent in East and West Africa.

Professor Paula Griffiths, a Professor of Population Health at Loughborough University, commented:

‘’We are proud to be part of this international consortia that embraces co-design, implementation and participatory approaches to consider the unique cultures and environments of adolescents living in Nairobi and Ghana. Designing for cultures and environments is essential for uptake and sustainability of these types of lifestyle targeted public health programmes. We are delighted to be creating better futures. Together.”

The Generation H project is being funded by the European Union, Horizon & UKRI, and will run for four years, following its initial launch in January 2024.