Lung health is a critical issue, with over 1 billion people suffering from acute and chronic lung diseases. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately impacted by the double burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), where the high burden of tuberculosis and lower respiratory tract infections is impacted by growing rates of lung NCDs due to tobacco use, urbanization, air pollution, and aging populations. Africa’s response to lung diseases is impeded by several complex and interrelated factors, including the lack of affordable and sustainable access to medications and technologies, the underrepresentation of African ethnicities in research and product development studies, African healthcare facilities’ limited diagnostic and treatment capabilities, and a lack of public awareness of lung diseases.
BVGH led a 15-session Interdisciplinary Lung Health lecture series to provide diverse healthcare professionals with the knowledge needed to integrate connections between infectious and NCD management. This program covered lung diseases globally and with a focus on African populations; epidemiology of lung diseases; the social, biological, environmental, and occupation determinants of lung health; methods for measuring and managing lung health; prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis, lower respiratory tract infections, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, bronchiectasis, and post-tuberculosis lung disease; artificial intelligence advances in lung health, and lung healthcare systems. Sessions were taught by lung health experts from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, the UK, and the USA. Over 1,600 healthcare professionals from 71 countries participated in the course, exploring evidence-based best practices and recent advances in lung healthcare applied to the unique challenges of resource limited settings.
“The course was exceptional, well structured and very relevant to healthcare professionals working in low and middle income countries. I appreciated your interdisciplinary approach, the expert speakers who provided very practical insights that can be applied in both research and clinical settings and much more. I loved the awareness of emerging topics and trends in AI and lung health. I want to sincerely thank you BVGH team and all the facilitators for organizing this valuable learning opportunity.”
– Ogoi Eunice, Research Assistant, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya