Non-Communicable Disease Profile

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which metabolic, neurological and cardiovascular health conditions include cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc. are currently thought to surpass communicable diseases in morbidity and mortality, globally with developing countries bearing the brunt of rapid increase in prevalence of syndromes.This Department, the newest among the IPR Departments, is mandated to conduct regular meta-analysis in order to keep abreast on global and national research focused on noncommunicable diseases. The Department also undertakes studies on critical and prevalent health conditions afflicting, mostly Kenyans. Prospective studies include stress-induced physiological derangement and pathology, addiction, diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s, cancers, etc.

Testing of novel therapies for NCD is also a priority. In our quest to understand NCD manifestation and pathogenesis, we undertake to evaluate new therapies, through use of rodents, rabbits, baboons and vervet monkey or African green monkey (AGM) as models for human diseases. Thenonhuman primates are physiologically and genetically closer to humans and therefore are able to give more precise insightful data on the human diseases and evaluation of new treatments.Research in and development of natural products for prevention and sustainable affordable therapeutics of critical non-communicable diseases of economic and public health importance in Kenya and the world is also core in the undertakings of the Department.