By Gabriel Olawale

Worried about the alarming increase in the prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases, NCDs, GlaxoSmithKline, GSK, weekend  launched first calls for proposals for its Africa NCD Open Lab, to support much-needed scientific research into NCDs in Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan Africa.

Already, GSK has made available about £4m (N1 billion) for the first funding round to support successful proposals from researchers in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana, Gambia, Kenya, Uganda and Malawi.

The Africa NCD Open Lab was established by GSK earlier this year, with a commitment of £25m funding over five years, as part of a series of strategic investments in sub-Saharan Africa.

The proposal was launched following alarming prevalent of Non-Communicable Diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, in Nigeria and other African countries.

The Africa NCD Open Lab aims to address how – and why – these diseases manifest differently in these countries.

The innovative research network  will see GSK scientists collaborate with researchers across Africa on high quality epidemiological, genetic and interventional research.

The aim of the research was also to specifically inform interventions for the prevention and treatment of five priority diseases – cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and chronic respiratory disease – while helping build local expertise and creating a new generation of African NCD experts.

An independent external advisory group, comprising clinical and scientific experts in the field of NCDs, will review applications to the NCD Open Lab, with recommendations for funding based on scientific merit.

The group will consist of a majority African membership to ensure that only locally-relevant research is funded.

A second call for proposals in South Africa is planned for 2015 which will be launched in collaboration with the Medical Research Councils of South Africa and the UK, with a combined £5m funding.

Interim Head of the Africa NCD Open Lab, Dr. Mike Strange said: “We believe the highly collaborative research network we’re creating through the Africa NCD Open Lab has the potential to dramatically improve understanding of NCDs in Africa – and could ultimately, accelerate the development of new, better medicines to treat these.

“The launch of our first call for proposals is an important milestone for this initiative, and we encourage researchers working in the field of NCDs who are based in the eight eligible countries to consider applying for the funding and expert support available to them through this.”