With the global death rate from diabetes doubling during the last 20 years and the WHO predicting that it will increase by two thirds by 2030, the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD), in which the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is also a member, will soon begin research into the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. The focus of the research will be on implementation and intervention research in low-and middle-income countries, vulnerable populations in high-income countries and indigenous populations in Canada and Australia.

Through the launch of this global call, the alliance aims to develop a network of researchers that can enhance the cumulative learning across the individual projects, and work towards understanding the findings and how they might be adapted and applied in different settings and scenarios.

Over the past twenty years, the global death rate from diabetes has doubled and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is predicting that this will increase by two thirds by 2030. It is currently estimated that 347 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes with more than 80 per cent from low- and middle-income countries. Of those suffering from diabetes, type 2 comprises 90 per cent of this population around the world.

The ICMR has invited applications from eligible Indian scientists for participating in this research programme initiated by GACD, which was established in 2009 to support clear priorities for a coordinated research effort that will address chronic non-communicable diseases, a growing health crisis, now reaching world epidemic proportions.

Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Research & Innovation DG, European Commission (EC), Medical Research Council, UK (MRC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Medical Research Council, South Africa (MRC) are the other member agencies of the GACD.